GENEVA - The United Nations' top human rights official warned on Tuesday that the revival of direct hostilities between the United States and Iran amounts to a profound setback for civilians in the region, with the potential to disrupt supplies of food, medicine and other essentials.
"The fighting undermines peace efforts and deepens instability, with grave risks for human rights across the entire region,"the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, said in a statement.
Turk added that the return to broader conflict in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran is "a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond," and he urged restraint.
In the most recent overnight exchanges, U.S. forces struck Iranian targets for five hours in operations linked to control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian authorities said they had closed. The U.S. actions marked the third successive night of strikes on Iranian positions.
Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that a U.S. air base in Jordan had been targeted with ballistic missiles.
The series of strikes has increased skepticism that a memorandum of understanding signed last month will result in a lasting cessation of hostilities.
Turk specifically highlighted the human rights and humanitarian implications of any closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He described the waterway as "a vital lifeline on which millions are reliant," and warned that interruptions to shipments of food, medicines and other required commodities "have severe socio-economic and humanitarian consequences, both regionally and globally."
The U.N. chief's remarks underline concerns that renewed military engagements and disruption to a key maritime route could deepen instability and compound the challenges faced by civilians across the affected area.
Additional context provided by the U.N. statement:
- The fighting undermines ongoing peace efforts and heightens instability across the region.
- Disruption to the Strait of Hormuz threatens flows of essential goods relied upon by millions.
- Recent strikes have raised doubts about the durability of the memorandum of understanding signed last month.