Iran: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has condemned the US threats and airstrikes against Iran's civilian infrastructure as clear war crimes, and warned that normalizing such "unprecedented violations" of the Geneva Conventions would erode the international legal order.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Baqaei marked the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the four Geneva Conventions by criticizing the US actions. He emphasized that these core international treaties, adopted on August 12, 1949, established essential rules of the law of armed conflict, including 'humanity', 'distinction', 'military necessity', 'proportionality', and the prohibition of 'unnecessary suffering'. Baqaei expressed disbelief that, in 2026, the US, as the host nation of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council, would commit such acts against another country's infrastructure.

Baqaei urged the international community, the States Parties to the Geneva Conventions, and Switzerland, as the depositary of these instruments, to not remain indifferent to these violations, which he describes as war crimes. He highlighted Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions, which obligates States to not only respect the Conventions but also to 'ensure respect' for them.

The spokesperson warned that silence in the face of threats against civilian objects erodes a fundamental achievement of the post-World War II era. He argued that when the law is silent before power, it is not just infrastructure that collapses, but humanity's confidence in the rule of law in international relations.

Baqaei cautioned that normalizing threats against civilian infrastructure would jeopardize the security of hospitals, electricity grids, bridges, and other vital facilities worldwide. He framed this as a threat not only to one government but to the entire legal order humanity has built to restrain violence. Despite these challenges, Baqaei affirmed Iran's resilience, stating that no storm can move a mountain, nor can any trials break those who stand firm in their resolve.