International condemnation of the Israeli-American military strikes on Iran, and the subsequent Iranian bombing

UN Commissioner Volker Türk said that civilians – as is always the case in any armed conflict – pay the highest price. He added in a statement that bombs and missiles are not a means to resolve disputes, but only cause death, destruction and human misery.

“To avoid these horrific consequences for civilians,” the Human Rights Commissioner called for restraint and appealed to all parties to be rational, de-escalate and return to the “negotiating table” where they had been seeking to reach a solution just hours before these developments. He stressed that this is the only way to finally resolve the deep differences existing between countries.

Turk indicated that he had warned in advance that failure to do so would herald the outbreak of a broader conflict, which would inevitably lead to the death of more civilians and cause destruction on an unimaginable scale – not only in Iran – but throughout the Middle East.

Türk reminded all parties that international law regarding armed conflicts is quite clear: protecting civilians is the highest priority. He said that each party must ensure compliance with these laws and that violations of them must lead to those responsible being held accountable.

“Peace is the best medicine”

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, expressed grave concern about the current situation in the Middle East. He expressed his solidarity with “civilians caught in the crossfire.”

He said in a post on the AX website that every human being deserves to live safe from the threat of violence wherever they may be, regardless of borders.

He urged leaders to choose the path of dialogue – despite its difficulty – instead of the path of “pointless destruction.” He said that “The world is waiting and hoping that the voice of wisdom will prevail over the voice of weapons. Peace is the best medicine.”