File Photo: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks to the media, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais Wilson, in Geneva, Switzerland. AP
The United States launched new attacks on Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump vowed to reimpose a naval blockade, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes on targets in countries around the region.
UN rights chief Volker Turk called the renewed fighting "a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond".
He warned of the "impact on human rights far beyond the region" of Iran's announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war erupted in February.
The strait "is a vital lifeline on which millions are reliant", Turk said in a statement.
"Disruptions to the flow of food, medicines, and other necessary commodities have severe socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences."
Turk called for Washington and Tehran to halt attacks "immediately" and return to their ceasefire.
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