UN rights chief says 'unacceptable' threats in Middle East war 'must cease immediately'

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday warned that threats "spreading fear and terror among civilians" in the Middle East conflict are "unacceptable" and "must stop immediately."

"I deplore the tirade of incendiary rhetoric being used in the Middle East war over the last couple of weeks by all parties, including the latest threats to annihilate a whole civilisation and to target civilian infrastructure," Volker Turk said in a statement.

He stressed that such "sickening" threats could lead to "the most serious international crimes" and said: "Threats that spread fear and terror among civilians are unacceptable and must cease immediately."

Turk called for accountability, saying those responsible for violations must be brought before a competent court, reiterating: "Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime."

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump warned on his Truth Social platform: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again."

"The power of a 'CIVILIZED' nation's culture, logic, and faith in its righteous cause' will prevail over mere force," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also wrote on X. "A nation that has every faith in the righteousness of its path shall harness all its capacities and capabilities to safeguard its rights and legitimate interests," he said.

Trump has set a deadline of Tuesday, 8 pm Eastern Time (0000GMT), threatening to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and agree to a deal.

The entire region has been on alert since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.