No fewer than 58 Iranian women and children have been killed and 222 injured since the start of Israeli strikes on Iran, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Monday.
“Since the beginning of the aggression, 58 women and children have died, 222 people injured among women and children,’’ Mohajerani was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.
It said earlier in the day that the official representative of the Iranian Ministry of Health, Hossein Kermanpur, announced 57 dead, 44 women and 13 children.
Israel launched a large-scale operation against Iran on June 13, accusing it of implementing a secret military nuclear programme.
The Israeli air force carried out several waves of attacks across Iran, including in Tehran, killing some senior Iranian military officials, as well as several nuclear scientists.
Several nuclear sites, including Natanz and Fordow, were also hit, according to the report.
Tehran retaliated by launching Operation True Promise 3, which hit military targets inside Israel.
Iran denied the military dimension of its nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has not seen concrete evidence that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program, Director General, Rafael Grossi, said on June 18.
U.S. intelligence assessments have reached a similar conclusion that Iran was not actively pursuing nuclear weapons, CNN reported on June 17, citing people familiar with the issue.
A former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan, human rights activist Craig Murray told RIA Novosti that Iran was “extraordinarily responsible and patient’’ over the last several years, despite Israel’s actions. (RIA/NAN)
