The National Human Rights Authority has condemned in the strongest possible terms the treacherous U.S. aggression that targeted a safe residential area and a civilian wedding celebration last night in Bandar-e Kong, Hormozgan Province, in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In a statement, the Authority said the attack, which claimed the lives of two civilians and injured 20 others, including women and children, according to a preliminary toll, constitutes a full-fledged war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the four Geneva Conventions, which prohibit attacks against civilian objects and safe residential communities.

The statement held the U.S. administration fully legally responsible for the bloodshed and for terrorizing civilians, calling for an immediate and independent international investigation into the crime and for those responsible to be held accountable before international courts, as it constitutes both a crime against humanity and a war crime that is not subject to a statute of limitations.

The Authority also affirmed the right of peoples to defend themselves, their sovereignty, and their security, and rejected any justification for the systematic targeting of civilians under any pretext.

It called on international organizations, the United Nations, and the Human Rights Council to fulfill their responsibilities, end the policy of double standards, and issue a clear position condemning this aggression and deterring its repetition.

The Authority stressed that the blood of innocent victims in Bandar-e Kong will not be shed in vain, and will remain a curse upon all those who participated in, justified, or remained silent about this aggression.