Tehran: Iran's top human rights official has accused the United States and Israel of committing war crimes in their military campaign against Iran, highlighting attacks on hospitals, civilians, and children as severe violations of the Geneva Conventions. Nasser Seraj, secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, told reporters about the 'wide range of human rights violations' perpetrated against Iranians due to US-Israeli assaults.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Seraj criticized the attempts to target Iran's highest political and religious authority at the beginning of the conflict, labeling it as unlawful under international law. He described the assassination of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and other military leaders as a 'premeditated extrajudicial assassination,' violating Article 2 of the UN Charter and exemplifying state terrorism.

The conflict escalated when, on February 28, the United States and Israel initiated military actions against Iran, resulting in the death of Iran's supreme leader and top military officials. In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli sites in the occupied territories and US bases in the region used for aggression against Iran.

Seraj emphasized that while military targets might be lawfully attacked under certain conditions, the killing of civilian leaders during peacetime is unjustifiable and constitutes state terrorism. He also condemned the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, describing it as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, as it targeted civilians without military necessity.

Moreover, Seraj criticized international bodies for their lack of response, claiming their silence demonstrates that 'children's rights' are used as political tools rather than being fundamental values. He denounced the attacks on hospitals, including a children's hospital in Tehran, and accused Western nations of 'double standards' in their human rights practices.

Additionally, Seraj highlighted the destruction of mosques, museums, and cultural heritage sites, which he stated violated the 1954 Hague Convention. These sites, he argued, are part of humanity's heritage, and their destruction amounts to war crimes.

Seraj further criticized the UN Security Council for its failure to implement a ceasefire resolution, blaming the veto power for creating a structural flaw that allows acts of aggression to go unpunished.