The Secretary-General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Meysam Afshar, said the organisation has documented alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the U.S.–Israel war on Iran and shared the findings with international bodies.
“Documenting cases of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) is crucial. One of the most valuable actions of the international team was documenting and narrating events on the ground to the global community,” Afshar said.
He made the remarks at a press briefing on Wednesday marking the start of Crescent Week in Iran, which coincides with World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, observed annually on 8 May.
“For the first time, the production of documents and documented reports on the humanitarian events of the imposed war was carried out by the IRCS and sent to international institutions,” he added.
“Thirty-five daily documentations on violations of humanitarian regulations were compiled, alongside 11 statements sent to international organisations without interruption.”
According to the IRCS official, Iran received humanitarian aid from 18 countries and international institutions, with Russia and Iraq among the main contributors.
“This aid was received only because of good neighbourliness and brotherhood, and we had no shortages at home,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, IRCS President Pir-Hossein Kolivand referred to last week’s visit to Iran by Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
He said the visit provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation between the IRCS and the ICRC, as well as to offer first-hand insight into the scale of strikes on civilian areas in Tehran, which he said had been targeted more than 500 times.
Kolivand announced that Iranian and international legal experts will meet online next week to examine aspects of alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran, as part of Crescent Week.
It was also reported that the Iranian Red Crescent Society set records in relief operations and volunteer recruitment during the conflict, while six aid workers were killed and 61 others injured.
“Carrying out 6,003 operations was an epic of love and sacrifice that led to the saving of human lives by the Iranian Red Crescent Society. We are proud that we pulled 7,215 people alive from the rubble,” Afshar told reporters.
He added that the IRCS’s Sahar (Psychological Support Ambassadors) teams provided counselling at bombed locations throughout the war.
“Some 2,388 psychiatric and psychological counselling sessions were conducted in targeted areas during the war, and 979,000 minutes of counselling were provided to people in need.”
“The number of Red Crescent volunteers increased from four million to more than five million between the 12-day war last June and the Ramadan war,” Afshar said, referring to the U.S.–Israel war on Iran, which began on 28 February.
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