TEHRAN – In a strict violation of international norms, the Israeli regime has deliberately struck a building belonging to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located across the street from Tehran’s Institute for Politics and International Studies (IPI).
Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran’s deputy minister and head of the IPI, denounced the attack as a “clear war crime” and part of Israel’s “systematic and continuous attack on Iran.” Several civilians have been injured, including a department colleague who was hospitalized for treatment.
The strike occurred amid a wider Israeli attack on Iran. Earlier on Friday, Israel began hundreds of sorties targeting nuclear facilities, densely populated areas and private infrastructure. On Saturday and Sunday, the administration continued drone attacks on civilian sites through domestic operatives. More than 200 Iranian citizens have been killed so far, and more than 1,200 others have been injured, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health. Women and children make up the majority of the victims.
The recent strike on Tehran’s foreign ministry buildings represents a troubling escalation in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iran’s interests. Diplomatic facilities are given special protection under the 1961 Convention on Vienna’s Diplomatic Relations, and designate them as inviolable “private objects.”
The incident is similar to the previous airstrikes in Tel Aviv at an Iranian consulate in Damascus in April 2024. The building was clearly marked as the “consular division of the Iranian Embassy”, and the attack brought about the martial teaching of seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officers. His assassination marked a significant moment as he was the highest Iranian military figure killed since the martialism of General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Following the bombing of the Damascus consulate, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting, with Iran’s UN envoys denounced the strike for violations of international law. Nonetheless, no binding accusations have been issued. Similarly, Israel’s latest attack on Iranian foreign ministry’s compounds has not elicited criticism from the international community, particularly the Western countries.
Tehran has repeatedly highlighted the West’s failure to hold the Israeli regime accountable. After the attack on the Damascus Consulate, the United States denied prior knowledge but took no punitive action.