Iran urges Islamic unity as OIC plans emergency meet on 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jun 2025 16:06
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Tehran accuses the US of direct involvement in Israeli strikes and urges international bodies to take action against violations of international law.

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A screengrab from a video showing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, speaking during his weekly press briefing on Monday, holding a picture of an Iranian child killed by Israeli strikes (Tehran Times)

Iran has urged Islamic nations to present a unified front in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression, as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) prepares for an emergency session to address the situation.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking during his weekly press briefing on Monday, confirmed that Iran is coordinating closely with OIC member states and regional allies following what he described as a “Zionist act of aggression.”

Baghaei opened his remarks by reading the names of children and civilians killed in the Israeli strikes on Tehran, emphasizing the human cost of the Israeli aggression.

#BREAKING
Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recounted in his press conference the lives of some martyrs from Israel's attack on Iran. pic.twitter.com/2mbUvnrJuU
— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) June 16, 2025

“Every nation in the region has condemned this flagrant assault,” he stated, adding that Iran is actively engaging with Islamic and regional states to assess the broader implications of the aggression.

“These nations are fully aware of the Israeli regime’s danger to regional security,” he noted. “Anyone truly seeking to support Iran must begin by recognizing the reality of this aggression and condemning it unequivocally.”

It is worth noting that Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has issued an open threat against civilians in Tehran on Monday, vowing that they will pay the price.

Iran slams US for complicity, calls out international silence

Baghaei sharply criticized the United States for its role in the escalation, accusing Washington of being “a direct party to the attack on Iran” and describing its policies as “inconsistent". He stated that “there can be no justification, none, for this assault,” calling the Israeli strikes a clear violation of international law.

“These crimes are part of a long record of brutal behavior that has destabilized the entire region,” he added. “The Zionist enemy has turned our region into a battlefield, and its continued actions are inflaming conflict.”

Calling on international institutions to act, Baghaei demanded that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council issue a formal condemnation of "Israel’s" actions. “Any country that has supported or justified this Israeli attack is an accomplice in the crime,” he warned.

He also pressed the E3 countries, France, Germany, and the UK, to condemn the attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, particularly the Natanz facility. “Iran expects these nations to condemn Israel’s aggression against nuclear sites,” he said.

Baghaei concluded by reaffirming Iran’s position that "Israel" represents a continuing threat to regional stability and international law, and called for a united Islamic and diplomatic response to deter future violations.

Israeli strikes kill 244 Iranian civilians, mostly women, children

Iran’s Ministry of Health announced on Sunday evening that 224 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Islamic Republic, with the majority of victims being women and children.

The announcement follows continued Israeli strikes across several Iranian cities, which officials say have overwhelmingly targeted residential neighborhoods.

In a statement reported by Iranian media, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused the Israeli occupation of waging a misinformation campaign aimed at portraying its strikes as precise and limited to military targets.

“The reality is something entirely different,” Baghaei said, revealing that “in just three of the attacks, more than 70 women and children were killed.”

He added that in the northern Tehran neighborhood of Chamran, 10 children remain buried under the rubble of a targeted residential building, out of 20 who were confirmed trapped during the airstrike. Rescue efforts are ongoing, but no bodies have yet been recovered from the site.

Baghaei added, “The occupation is correct about one thing: its attacks are precise, but they are precisely aimed at women and children,” denouncing the bombardment as a continuation of “the regime’s habitual brutality.”

Wider context

On the night of June 13, the Israeli occupation military launched a large-scale aerial aggression against Iran. The attacks, led by the Israeli Air Force, struck residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, military sites, and nuclear-related facilities, including those in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Iranian media reported the martyrdom of several high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and tens of civilians in the strikes.

The Israeli entity claimed the attacks were launched to neutralize what it described as an "imminent threat to its existence," alleging that Iran was nearing the "point of no return" in developing nuclear weapons. In response, Iran launched Operation True Promise 3, targeting Israeli occupation military positions in a retaliatory strike.

Tehran formally notified the United States, France, and the United Kingdom of its intent to launch broader strikes inside Israeli-occupied territory if aggression continues. Russia also weighed in, strongly condemning the Israeli attacks and labeling them “categorically unacceptable".