Iran accuses US of ‘war crimes’ after attacks on civilian infrastructure

Iran accused the US on Thursday of committing "war crimes" by targeting civilian infrastructure in ongoing attacks against the country, saying the strikes violated international law and the UN Charter.

A Foreign Ministry statement carried by the state broadcaster IRIB said Washington has intensified what it described as "aggressive attacks" against Iran over the past several days and imposed a naval blockade against the country.

The ministry said the blockade amounted to "an explicit admission" of another violation of US commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

It accused the US of deliberately targeting civilian facilities and infrastructure, describing the attacks as "war crimes."

According to the statement, the US attacks included strikes on a grain storage silo in the southwestern city of Hoveyzeh, a mineral water factory in Musian in western Iran, and a maritime control tower in Chabahar used to assist fishermen.

A US strike also hit near a children's cancer hospital in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on Wednesday, which Tehran denounced as "barbaric."

The ministry said that the attacks constituted "a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law."

Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei earlier vowed that the US attacks would be met with a "decisive and direct" response.

Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides exchanging attacks despite a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.