The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned on March 18 that densely populated urban areas and major energy facilities were coming under sustained attack across the Middle East. He noted that many people in the region were observing Eid “in hardship, uncertainty, and fear.”
The Office of the High Commissioner said civilians in Iran faced disruptions to electricity supplies and shortages of medicine, baby formula, and fuel. Housing complexes, medical facilities, shops, courthouses, UNESCO world heritage sites, energy installations, and approximately 500 schools had been hit by U.S.-Israeli missiles.
Iran’s Internal Crackdown
Turk’s office also noted that Iran’s government had intensified domestic repression since the war began. Political prisoners faced harsher conditions, critics were being arrested, and internet access had been further restricted.
A BBC reporter noted on March 15 that the regime had started targeting individuals with Starlink access and reducing the availability of VPNs, cutting off one of the last channels through which Iranians could communicate with the outside world and share information about strike impacts.
Red Crescent: 260 Medical Facilities Hit
The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that 260 medical facilities had been damaged or destroyed since February 28. The organization said it was struggling to maintain operations in several provinces due to fuel shortages and damage to road infrastructure.
Coalition strikes continued overnight in Tehran, Isfahan, and across western Iran. The combined force targeted what it described as a drone production facility in South Khorasan Province, one of the easternmost strikes since the war began, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Lebanon Front
In Lebanon, Hezbollah continued firing rockets into northern Israel. The Lebanese Health Ministry updated its toll to more than 900 killed since March 2. Israeli forces carried out strikes in the Bekaa Valley and southern suburbs of Beirut.
The war’s economic impact continued to ripple outward. Brent crude held above $100 per barrel for the fifth consecutive day. Food prices in Iran were rising sharply, and several Gulf states reported supply chain disruptions caused by the closure of key ports and the near-total shutdown of Hormuz shipping.