(AGENPARL) – Tue 17 June 2025 Logo ICRC EN.jpg      International Committee of the Red Cross
** Statement from ICRC’s Near & Middle East regional director following the escalations of hostilities between Israel and Iran 
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ICRC – News Release
17 June 2025
The following is a short statement from Nicolas Von Arx, Near & Middle East regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in response to the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran. 
“Our hearts go out to the civilians caught in the conflict between Iran and Israel. Every life lost, every family affected, is a deep tragedy.
Many civilians on both sides have been killed or injured, including members of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Homes have been damaged and livelihoods have been shattered. In Iran, many families are fleeing for safety. In Israel, families are repeatedly forced into shelters in the middle of the night.
We fear that if this conflict intensifies then even more civilians will suffer and the ripple effects will spread far beyond the immediate hostilities in a region that is already seeing so much suffering.
We call for respect of international humanitarian law and urge immediate de-escalation. Decisive political action is urgently needed to stop the killing and put an end to destruction.
Our partners in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement are responding at the forefront. The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) have their emergency preparedness and response teams on the ground responding to humanitarian needs. Magen David Adom (MDA) – have been providing critical assistance to those affected by the ongoing hostilities.” 
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
** For more information, please contact:
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Public Relations Unit | International Committee of the Red Cross | 19, avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
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ICRC, Avenue de la Paix, 19, Geneva, . 1201 Switzerland