US-Israel strikes: Schoolgirls killed, civilians targeted – Iran ambassador

The Ambassador of Iran to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, has accused the United States and Israel of carrying out what he described as “unprovoked and coordinated military attacks” against the Islamic Republic, alleging that schoolgirls were killed and civilian infrastructure deliberately targeted.   Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, the envoy said the attacks […]

The Ambassador of Iran to Nigeria, Gholamreza Mahdavi Raja, has accused the United States and Israel of carrying out what he described as “unprovoked and coordinated military attacks” against the Islamic Republic, alleging that schoolgirls were killed and civilian infrastructure deliberately targeted.

 

Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, the envoy said the attacks occurred while Tehran and Washington were engaged in diplomatic dialogue aimed at resolving their differences.

 

“While the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States were engaged in an active diplomatic process aimed at addressing differences through dialogue, Iran became the target of unprovoked and coordinated military attacks,” he said in a statement titled From Diplomatic Engagement to Open Aggression: Iran Under Direct Attack by the United States and the Zionist Regime*.

 

He said the strikes were launched on the tenth day of Ramadan and on the eve of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, arguing that the timing heightened the “ethical, humanitarian, and moral gravity” of the situation.

 

According to Raja, several civilian locations were hit in the opening hours of the assault, including educational institutions.

He alleged that in the city of Minab, a girls’ elementary school was almost completely destroyed, with nearly 200 pupils killed or injured.

 

“The deliberate targeting of schools and children constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” he said, describing the attacks as unlawful and inhumane.

 

The ambassador also claimed that the military operation included a targeted strike on Iran’s senior leadership, resulting in what he called the assassination of the country’s revered leader — an act he described as a grave breach of international norms.

 

Raja maintained that the development undermines diplomacy and sends a dangerous signal that negotiations can be abandoned in favour of force. He cited Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

 

While reaffirming Iran’s stated commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, he stressed that international law recognises a nation’s inherent right to self-defence.

 

“Iran reserves its full and legitimate right to defend its people, sovereignty, national interests and territorial integrity in a lawful, proportionate and necessary manner,” he said.

 

He warned that silence from the international community would embolden aggressors and weaken the rule of law, insisting that Iran remains “resilient, steadfast and unwavering” despite the reported casualties.