BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 2. Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has reached out to international organizations and foreign ministers across several nations, addressing the military airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory, Trend reports, citing the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
According to the ministry, in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Araghchi detailed the attacks to the UN, the UN High Commissioner, and foreign ministers, explaining Iran’s position. He reported that the air strikes on February 28 targeted numerous civilian facilities, including schools, hospitals, and emergency aid centers.
"On the first day of the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran, a girls’ school in Minab, Hormozgan province, was struck, resulting in the deaths of 165 students. Numerous civilians were also killed in Tehran and Qazvin. On March 1, the attacks hit the buildings of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, three hospitals in Tehran, a hospital in Ahvaz, and emergency centers in Sarab, Chabahar, and Hamadan. On March 2, a residential area in Sanandaj was targeted, and the number of casualties is still being verified," he said.
In his letter, the Iranian foreign minister urged the UN, the UN Security Council, and other relevant international bodies to take serious measures in response to these attacks.
Following the second round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran on February 17, which ended without progress, the U.S. increased its presence in areas near Iran, deploying over 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The escalation follows the 3rd round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva on February 26. Held under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the negotiations were viewed as the final chance to strike a deal diplomatically. However, no agreements were reached, as Tehran refused to halt uranium enrichment, dismantle its nuclear facilities, or accept indefinite restrictions on its nuclear program. Israel launched its airstrikes shortly afterward, with the country's Defense Minister Katz emphasizing that the operations were preemptive.
In a significant escalation, military airstrikes conducted by Israel and the United States the previous day have reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several members of his family.
Additionally, several of Iran’s most senior military and security officials were killed in the airstrikes, including Chief of Staff Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, Supreme Leader adviser and Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
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