Iran condemns US attacks on its rescue vessels as breach of humanitarian law

Iran's Human Rights Secretariat denounced the United States for deliberately targeting two Iranian sea‑search and rescue vessels, Naji‑15 and Naji‑16, on 23 July 2026. The statement said the vessels were engaged solely in humanitarian missions to locate and assist people in distress at sea and had no involvement in any military operations.

The Secretariat called the attacks a grave violation of fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law, referencing the 1949 Second Geneva Convention that protects rescue and relief vessels. It warned that such actions endanger the lives of rescue personnel and all individuals requiring aid at sea, regardless of nationality.