WANA (Mar 08) – President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society ‎‎(IRCS) in a formal letter to the Prosecutor of the‏ ‏International Criminal Court (ICC) ‎has requested “initiation of an Investigation into War Crimes Arising from Attacks ‎by the United States of America and the Israeli Regime against Civilian Objects ‎within the Territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”‎

 

The full text of the letter from Dr Pir Hossein Kolivan reads as follows:

 

“Dear Prosecutor,

 

I write on behalf of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, in the discharge of its humanitarian mandate and in reliance upon the binding principles and rules of International Humanitarian Law, to formally submit our protest and request for criminal examination concerning a series of military attacks carried out against civilian objects within the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

According to field reports from relief workers, operational documentation, and data recorded by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a wide range of residential areas, medical facilities, schools, humanitarian facilities, vital urban infrastructure, and public places were directly or indiscriminately targeted during the recent military attacks.

 

Based on consolidated recorded data:

  • 6,668 civilian structures have been damaged
  • 5,535 residential units have been destroyed or damaged
  • 1,041 commercial units have been damaged
  • 14 medical centers have been affected
  • 65 schools have been damaged
  • 11 facilities affiliated with the Iranian Red Crescent Society have been targeted
  • 3 emergency response vehicles have been damaged
  • 7 Iranian Red Crescent relief workers have been killed or injured

 

These acts constitute clear violations of the fundamental rules of International Humanitarian Law and represent multiple instances of war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

 

Violation of the Principle of Distinction between Military and Civilian Objects

Pursuant to Article 48 of Additional Protocol I (1977) to the Geneva Conventions, parties to an armed conflict must at all times distinguish between civilians and military objectives. Furthermore, Article 51(2) of the same Protocol explicitly prohibits attacks directed against civilians.

 

However, documented reports indicate that the following civilian objects were targeted:

  • Residential areas in several cities
  • Markets and commercial centers
  • Urban infrastructure including water and electricity facilities
  • Civilian factories and production facilities
  • Tourism sites and cultural heritage locations
  • Targeting such locations constitutes direct or indiscriminate attacks against civilian objects.

 

Disproportionate Attacks against Civilian Areas

According to Article 51(5)(b) of Additional Protocol I, attacks expected to cause incidental civilian loss or damage excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage are prohibited.

 

The extensive attacks against urban areas and civilian infrastructure, which resulted in the destruction of thousands of residential and commercial units, clearly constitute disproportionate attacks.

 

Attacks on Medical and Healthcare Facilities

Under Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), Article 12 of Additional Protocol I, and Customary International Humanitarian Law Rules 28 and 29 (ICRC), medical units enjoy special protection under all circumstances.

 

Despite this protection, attacks have been reported against the following medical facilities:

  • Taleghani Hospital, Urmia
  • Gandhi Hospital
  • Motahari Burn and Trauma Hospital
  • Shahid Rajaei Hospital
  • Imam Ali Hospital
  • Persian Gulf Martyrs Hospital
  • Minab Medical Clinic

 

Such actions may constitute war crimes under Article 8(2)(b)(ix) of the Rome Statute relating to attacks against hospitals and medical facilities.

 

Attacks against Humanitarian Missions and Relief Personnel

Under Article 24 of the First Geneva Convention, Article 71 of Additional Protocol I, and Customary International Humanitarian Law Rule 31, humanitarian personnel and relief missions must be respected and protected.

 

Nevertheless, the following incidents have been recorded:

  • Attacks on Iranian Red Crescent branches in Mahabad, Baneh, Sardasht, Khomein, and Qazvin
  • Destruction of an Iranian Red Crescent relief warehouse in Bushehr
  • Attacks on search and rescue bases
  • Damage to emergency vehicles
  • Killing and injury of relief workers while conducting humanitarian operations
  • These actions constitute attacks against humanitarian missions as defined under Article 8(2)(b)(iii) of the Rome Statute.

 

Attacks against Educational Institutions and Children

Under Article 50 of Additional Protocol I, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and Customary IHL Rule 135, children and educational institutions must be protected from the effects of armed conflict.

 

However, an attack on a school in Minab resulted in the deaths of a large number of students, and several other educational institutions have also been damaged. Such acts may constitute war crimes against the civilian population, particularly children.

 

Attacks on Vital Civilian Infrastructure

According to Article 54 of Additional Protocol I, attacks against objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population are prohibited.

 

In the documented attacks, the following facilities were targeted:

  • Water and sanitation facilities
  • Energy and electricity infrastructure
  • Civilian industrial facilities
  • Transportation and communication infrastructure.

 

Requests to the Office of the Prosecutor

In light of the foregoing, the Iranian Red Crescent Society respectfully requests that the Office of the Prosecutor:

  • Initiate a Preliminary Examination into the alleged war crimes committed during these attacks.
  • Examine the criminal responsibility of those who ordered, planned, or executed these attacks under Articles 25 and 28 of the Rome Statute.
  • Dispatch an independent international fact‑finding mission to investigate the consequences of the attacks on the ground.
  • Record and document these acts within the legal framework of war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.

 

The Iranian Red Crescent Society stands ready to provide all relevant documentation, including photographs, operational reports, witness testimonies, and field data related to these attacks.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Pir Hossein Kolivand

President

Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran

 

Furthermore, a copy of this letter has been sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the United Nations Security Council, the Hight Commissioner of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies , the President of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Director-General of the World Health Organization.”

A view of debris following an Israeli and U.S. strike on Gandhi Hotel Hospital, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)