The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday urged governments to uphold the laws of armed conflict in what they say as well as what they do, responding to escalatory rhetoric and the widening pattern of strikes in the Middle East.
Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement that "States must respect and ensure respect for the rules of war in both what they say and what they do." She added: "The world cannot succumb to a political culture that prioritises death over life."
The ICRC statement addressed the hostilities unfolding in the Middle East but did not identify specific governments by name. It warned that deliberate threats - whether made in rhetoric or carried out in action - against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become an accepted feature of warfare.
The organisation pointed to the wide range of civilian assets that have been struck since the outbreak of fighting, listing power plants, water systems, hospitals, roads, bridges, homes, schools and universities as having come under fire.
The broader confrontation began, according to the statement, with U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February and has since seen Iran strike targets across the region.
In the most recent developments cited by the ICRC, U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his public threats toward Iran, saying he would rain down "hell" on Tehran. Trump also issued an ultimatum that Iran could face strikes on power plants and bridges unless it agreed by the end of Tuesday to terms that would allow traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz - a waterway described as a vital route for energy supplies.
Separately, Israel on Monday struck what Israel's defence minister described as Iran's largest petrochemical complex.
The ICRC's appeal framed this as not just a humanitarian imperative but a call to preserve protections that distinguish combatants from civilians, emphasising the human cost when infrastructure relied upon by the public is targeted or threatened.