The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the growing military escalation in the Middle East, following US strikes on Iran, could ignite a conflict with catastrophic consequences.
Speaking after the US military targeted three Iranian nuclear sites as part of a coordinated offensive alongside Israel, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric issued a stark warning about the potential fallout.
“The intensification and expansion of major military operations in the Middle East risk dragging the region — and the wider world — into a war with irreversible consequences,” Spoljaric said in a statement on Sunday.
“The world cannot bear the burden of endless war,” she added.
Spoljaric stressed that all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, underscoring that sparing civilians from hostilities is not optional but a legal obligation. She also called for the protection of medical workers and first responders, including those at Iran’s Red Crescent and Israel’s Magen David Adom, who continue to provide emergency care amid the violence.
The ICRC president confirmed that the organisation maintains delegations in both Iran and Israel and is actively mobilising staff and supplies to respond to the growing humanitarian needs. However, she warned that humanitarian efforts alone are insufficient without genuine political efforts to end the crisis.
“No humanitarian response can substitute for political will to prioritise peace, stability, and human life,” Spoljaric emphasised.
