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Iran-Israel crisis: UN rights office issues appeal for urgent de-escalation
As the Iran-Israel crisis continued into a sixth day, the UN deputy human rights chief Nada Al-Nashif called for urgent talks to end the ongoing exchanges of missile attacks between Tehran and Tel-Aviv.
Israel began targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran last Friday, prompting a barrage of retaliatory strikes on Israeli cities.
“The UN human rights office urges de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward,” said Ms. Al-Nashif. “We are following closely and are aware of reports that many thousands of residents are fleeing parts of the capital, Tehran, as a result of warnings covering broad areas.”
Latest reports from the region indicate that more than 200 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel to date.
Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva at a scheduled meeting to discuss Iran’s rights record, the Deputy High Commissioner highlighted serious concerns that populated areas have been hit in the escalation.
“It is imperative that both sides fully respect international law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians in densely populated areas and of civilian objects,” she said. “We urge all those with influence to engage in negotiation as a matter of priority.”
In a related development, the UN-backed nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities had suffered major damage after being targeted.
“The TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit,” it said in an update. “At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured,” said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Speaking at the Council after the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Iran’s Permanent Representative of Iran, Ambassador Ali Bahreini, condemned the Israeli strikes: “There has been no violation worse than [the] 13 June act of aggression against Iran,” he said, pointing to “continuous blind attacks on residential areas, bombardment of vital supplies, explosion of drinking water resources and reckless strikes on nuclear facilities are immediately impacting the civilians and people of Iran.”
Such “deliberate targeting” of his country’s nuclear facilities risked exposing local communities to a “possible hazardous leak”, the Iranian ambassador continued. “This is not an act of war against our country, it is war against humanity.”
In a short statement to the Council from which Israel announced its withdrawal earlier this year, Mr. Bahreini called for accountability and international condemnation of the Israeli attacks. “This impunity must come to [an] end,” he said. “Israel activities are not just against one or two countries. It is acting against all humanity and their actions target all human rights.”
ends
STORY: Human Rights Council – Iran
TRT: 2’23”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 18 JUNE 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Speakers
- Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Mr. Ali Bahreini, Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, flag alley.
- Wide shot: Human Rights Council.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights: “The United Nations Human Rights Office urges de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward. We are following closely and are aware of reports that many thousands of residents are fleeing parts of the capital, Tehran, as a result of warnings covering broad areas. There are serious concerns that some attacks are taking place in populated areas, with reports of civilian casualties.”
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, flag alley.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights: “It is imperative that both sides fully respect international law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians in densely populated areas and of civilian objects. We urge all those with influence to engage in negotiation as a matter of priority.”
- Wide shot: Human Rights Council.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Ali Bahreini, Permanent Representative of Iran: “There has been no violation worse than [the] 13 June act of aggression against Iran. Tremendous human rights consequences of such heinous, unprovoked and unjustified offences, including continuous blind attacks on residential areas, bombardment of vital supplies, explosion of drinking water resources and reckless strikes on nuclear facilities are immediately, impacting the civilians and people of Iran.”
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, flag alley.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Ali Bahreini, Permanent Representative of Iran: “The deliberate targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities not only constitutes a grave violation of international law and [the] UN Charter, but also risks exposition of all people in our neighborhood to possible hazardous leak. This is not an act of war against our country, it is war against humanity.”
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, flag alley.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Ali Bahreini, Permanent Representative of Iran: “This impunity must come to [an] end. Israel activities are not just against one or two countries. It is acting against all humanity and their actions target all human rights.”
- Exterior wide shot: Palais des Nations, flag alley.
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