Since February 28, 2026, Israel and the US have been conducting their 'special military operations' against Iran - and numerous acts the aggressors committed in the process fall under the definition of war crimes, leaving international law experts "seriously concerned" about "strikes on schools, health centers and homes" in contravention of Geneva conventions, The Guardian and other media outlets reported.
In retaliation, the Iranian military continues drone and missile strikes on targets within Israel, as well as on facilities linked to Israel and the United States across the Middle East. Furthermore, Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is another response to the ongoing aggression it suffers, has significantly increased the prices of oil, natural gas, and fertilizers worldwide - posing a big risk of a global economic crisis of an unprecedented scale.
Commenting on the situation, European Council President Antonio Costa declared on Monday on X that "any attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially energy facilities, are illegal and unacceptable" - also reminding that "the Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime" and that "it would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign".
It is worth mentioning that, as per reports from the region, the list of civilian targets US-Israeli forces attacked since February 28 by far exceeds Iran's transgressions in this regard.
Although he did not mention the US or Israel in his social media post, only blaming Iran by name, Costa's words may also be seen as a somewhat veiled response to Donald Trump's recent statements. In an Easter-Sunday-published Wall Street Journal interview, the US President said that if Iran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening, "they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing". Trump also repeated similar threats in even stronger words on social media over the weekend.
Continuing his social media entry Antonio Costa assessed that after five weeks of war in the Middle East it has become clear that only a diplomatic solution will eliminate its root causes. "The escalation of the conflict will not lead to a ceasefire and peace. Only negotiations will achieve this, namely the efforts currently being undertaken by partners in the region" - the European Council President emphasized.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, The Guardian