On June 18, 2025, as the Israel-Iran crisis entered its sixth day, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif called for urgent de-escalation and diplomatic negotiations to end the ongoing missile attacks and find a way forward. Speaking to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Al-Nashif emphasized that “it is imperative that both sides fully respect international law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians in densely populated areas and of civilian objects.”

The escalation began when Israel targeted nuclear and military sites across Iran on June 13, prompting retaliatory strikes. Latest reports indicate over 200 killed in Iran and 24 in Israel, with thousands of Tehran residents fleeing the capital due to widespread warnings.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities—the TESA Karaj workshop and Tehran Research Centre—suffered major damage from Israeli strikes.

Iran’s UN Representative Ali Bahreini condemned the June 13 strikes as an unprecedented “act of aggression,” citing “continuous blind attacks on residential areas, bombardment of vital supplies, explosion of drinking water resources and reckless strikes on nuclear facilities.” Bahreini characterized the attacks as “war against humanity” and warned that targeting nuclear facilities risks exposing communities to “possible hazardous leak.”