The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described this Tuesday as “despicable” the threat launched by US President Donald Trump to “annihilate” Iranian civilization, and assured that carrying it out “would amount to the most serious international crimes.”
“I deplore the inflammatory rhetoric that has been used in the Middle East war in recent weeks by all sides, including recent threats to annihilate an entire civilization and attack civilian infrastructure. “This is despicable,” said Türk.
Although he did not expressly quote Trump, the UN human rights chief made this comment public shortly after the US president assured in his Truth Social account that on Tuesday night “an entire civilization will die, never to return” if Iran does not respond to his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz before 8:00 p.m. local time (0:00 GMT).
“Threats that sow fear and terror among the civilian population are unacceptable and must stop immediately,” said Türk, who also recalled that, according to international law, “deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime.”
The Austrian high commissioner reiterated his calls to the international community to take urgent measures to de-escalate the situation and help protect the lives of all civilians.
