Tehran: Over 1,330 civilians, including around 300 children, have been killed in Iran amid ongoing attacks by the US and Israel, while damage to infrastructure across the country is also rising rapidly, Iran's ambassador to the UN said on Sunday. Saeid Iravani stated at the UN that since the attacks began, at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have lost their lives, and thousands more have been injured.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Iranian Red Crescent reported that around 300 of those killed were children. The US and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran on February 28 while negotiations between Tehran and Washington were still ongoing, actions that Iranian officials later described as a diplomatic betrayal. In response, Iran struck Israel and US bases and targets across the region, escalating the conflict into a regional crisis.
Iranian officials have reported that civilian infrastructure, residential areas, and public facilities were targeted and damaged by the US-Israel attacks. The Iranian Red Crescent detailed that the attacks targeted 7,943 homes, 1,617 commercial sites, 32 health centers, 65 schools, and 13 Red Crescent facilities. In Tehran, densely populated civilian areas, including Enghelab Square, Azadi Square, and Niloufar Square, were also bombed.
On February 28, a US-Israel strike on a primary school in the southern city of Minab reportedly killed many students and school staff. The Iranian Red Crescent stated that at least 165 students and teachers, ranging in age from 7 to 12, were killed in the attack.
On day eight of the war, oil depots and fuel facilities in Tehran became key targets of bombardments. Airstrikes carried out by Israel and the US hit fuel storage centers in and around the Iranian capital. Explosions were reported in the city following the attacks, with large fires breaking out in some areas. Israeli warplanes struck oil depots in Tehran and the province of Karaj, sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky and causing fires that reportedly burned for hours.
