TEHRAN — Iran's Human Rights Headquarters has called on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to condemn a US attack on a children's cancer hospital in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, saying the incident constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the headquarters said US airstrikes on July 15 targeted the vicinity of Shahid Beqaei Specialized Hospital, forcing the emergency evacuation of 211 children undergoing cancer treatment, including chemotherapy patients. It urged the UN Security Council, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and international human rights organizations to take immediate action, warning that continued silence would amount to complicity.

The statement said the strike formed part of a broader campaign against civilian infrastructure during the ongoing US-Israeli military operations against Iran. According to the headquarters, eight hospitals have been forced to suspend operations, and numerous other healthcare facilities have sustained damage since the conflict began.

The body argued that attacks affecting hospitals violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which grants special protection to medical facilities during armed conflict, as well as the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets under international humanitarian law. It further said such actions fall within the definition of war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Iran's Human Rights Headquarters called on the UN Security Council to formally condemn the attacks and demand an immediate halt to US military operations. It also urged the UN human rights office to document the violations and submit an official report, while appealing to governments and international human rights organizations to hold Washington accountable through legal and diplomatic channels.

The latest appeal follows strong condemnation from Iran's Foreign Ministry a day earlier over the strike near the medical complex.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the attack as a "cowardly war crime," saying the explosions near Shahid Beqaei Specialized Hospital forced doctors and nurses to urgently evacuate pediatric cancer patients, many of whom were receiving chemotherapy or other critical treatments.

"The attack caused severe suffering and anxiety among hospitalized children," Baqaei said in a statement, comparing the incident to attacks on healthcare facilities in other conflict zones. He argued that endangering hospitals, even if they are not directly hit, constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

Hospital officials said the explosions occurred only a short distance from the specialized pediatric oncology center, triggering emergency procedures to relocate every patient.

Hospital manager Dr. Majid Bou'azar said the evacuation involved some of the hospital's most medically vulnerable patients, including children undergoing intensive cancer treatment. Medical personnel described chaotic scenes as doctors, nurses and parents rushed children to safety, with some patients reportedly being moved while connected to oxygen supplies, ventilators or intravenous medication.

According to hospital officials, the nearby blasts disrupted normal medical operations and temporarily rendered parts of the facility unusable, raising concerns about continuity of care for critically ill children.

Iran's Human Rights Headquarters said it would continue pursuing legal action through international mechanisms against those it holds responsible for the attack, while urging the international community to take concrete measures to safeguard medical facilities and civilians caught in armed conflict.