The Iranian ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, has urged the international community to condemn the illegal US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s telecommunications infrastructure and other civilian sites.
Bahreini made the remarks in a letter to the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin. He said the airstrikes on Iran’s telecommunications system “constitute a series of grave and unprecedented violations of the ITU Constitution, the Convention, and the Radio Regulations.”
He also called the US and Israeli assault a serious breach of international law, including the UN Charter, International Humanitarian Law, and International Human Rights Law. The attacks have targeted critical civilian infrastructure in residential areas, including hospitals, fuel depots, police stations, stadiums, parks, schools, and ambulances.
The bombardment of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) caused total or partial destruction of its headquarters and several transmission stations. Preliminary assessments show damage exceeding $150 million, and over 15 million civilians were disconnected from public broadcasting services. Bahreini also noted that two technical personnel were martyred while maintaining civilian communication links.
He emphasized that “Under Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, journalists and their technical support staff are protected as civilians; any deliberate attack on them is a war crime.” He further stated that the destruction of broadcasting facilities represents the “lethal weaponization of censorship,” violating Articles 6 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protect the right to life and freedom of information.
Bahreini urged the Radiocommunication Bureau and the General Secretariat to formally condemn the US-Israeli airstrikes and raise the matter at the upcoming Radio Regulations Board (RRB) meeting. He also demanded the suspension of the aggressor countries’ frequency privileges until they comply with international law and called for safeguards to protect civilian telecommunications infrastructure from military attacks.
The US and Israel launched their attacks on February 28, targeting Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders, violating Iran’s sovereignty. These attacks deliberately hit civilian and energy facilities, killing hundreds. Iran has retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks on Israeli-occupied areas and US bases and assets in the region.
