UN Base: All parties may have committed war crimes

Nivette Dawod

Updated 11.37 | Published 09.13

            

           UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Photo: Omar Havana /AP/TT / AP

Attacks on energy infrastructure.

And more and more people are killed and injured.

Now UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns: all sides may have committed war crimes during the Iran war.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres says in an exclusive interview with Politico that both Iran and the US-Israeli coalition may have committed war crimes during the recent war.

– When there are attacks either against Iran or from Iran on energy infrastructure, it may be reasonable to assume that these may constitute war crimes, he says in the newspaper's podcast.

On Wednesday, Israel attacked Iran's important natural gas facility South Pars.

Iran responded with missiles against oil and gas facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan facility, which is the world's largest producer of LNG gas, has led to Qatar's LNG production now falling by 17 percent over the next five years, according to Qatar Energy's CEO.

            

          Smoke fills the sky over Tehran after an Israeli attack. Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images

Increases suspicions

But also the fact that the number of civilians killed and injured in the war is increasing reinforces suspicions of war crimes, according to Guterres.

- I see no difference. It doesn't matter who attacks civilians. It is totally unacceptable.

The war began with the US and Israel bombing Iran on February 28.

Since then, Iran has attacked several neighboring countries with drones and missiles.

When energy infrastructure began to be attacked this week, the conflict escalated, and according to Guterres, the situation is now “extremely dangerous.”

Asked Trump for help

Guterres tells Politico that he asked US President Donald Trump to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war.

He says he is convinced that Israel’s strategy is to destroy Iran’s military capacity and bring about regime change, and that Iran’s strategy is to survive this, while creating as much destruction as possible. According to Guterres, it is the US that has the power to untie this knot. He points out that the population is suffering in both Iran, Israel, but also in other countries in the region. And that the entire world is indirectly affected by the consequences that the war has on the global economy.

– The war must end. And I believe that it is the US that has the opportunity to end it. It all depends on the political will, he says.