More than 1,400 civilians have been killed in Iran during the first three weeks of the war with the United States and Israel, according to figures compiled by the rights group HRANA.
The Iran-focused Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said in a report on Sunday that it had confirmed at least 1,407 civilian deaths since the war began on Feb. 28, including at least 214 children.
Iran International could not independently verify the figures.
HRANA said the numbers are based on incidents documented across the country and compiled through the organisation’s network of field sources, local contacts and publicly available evidence such as images and videos.
HRANA has documented human rights abuses and state repression in Iran for more than a decade through a network of activists and researchers.
Military officials in Washington say Iranian forces have increasingly launched missiles and drones from populated areas, putting civilians at risk.
US Central Command chief Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told Iran International on Sunday that the Islamic Republic could end the war at any time if it chose to do so.
Tehran province accounted for the largest share of recorded incidents, according to HRANA’s preliminary analysis, with about 39 percent of attacks, followed by Hormozgan province on the shores of the Persian Gulf.
The organization also recorded 657 deaths whose status could not yet be determined—military or civilian.
Iran’s health ministry said around 210 children have been killed and that more than 1,500 people under the age of 18 have been injured. It also said 300 health and emergency facilities had been damaged during the fighting.
Some of the damaged sites appeared to fall under categories protected by international humanitarian law, including residential buildings, sports facilities and power plants, according to HRANA.
In several cases, the damage appeared to have been caused by nearby strikes or secondary effects rather than direct targeting.
Human rights groups say the true toll of the war may be significantly higher, as ongoing hostilities, communication disruptions and restricted access to affected areas have made it difficult to verify casualties in real time.
