Iran: "Child Who Loved Taekwondo Killed, Israeli Airstrikes Are Acts of Aggression"

"At Least 224 Dead... 90% of the Injured Are Civilians"

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, strongly condemned Israel’s attacks, highlighting the civilian casualties.

According to IRNA on June 16 (local time), during a briefing that day, Baghaei revealed a photo of a child killed in an Israeli airstrike and stated, "Mohammad Mehdi Amini, a happy and energetic child who loved Taekwondo, has left his dreams behind in the rubble." He added, "Amini, who attended a Taekwondo studio wearing a white uniform and a yellow belt, died together with his father," and continued, "His mother holds her son's small Taekwondo uniform in her arms, embracing his dreams every night."

Mohammad Mehdi Amini. Esmail Baghaei Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson X (formerly Twitter) capture

He further condemned, "The actions of the Zionist regime (Israel) are nothing but acts of aggression that violate the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter." Baghaei stated, "These acts, which could not have been carried out without the coordination, cooperation, and support of the United States, have rendered diplomacy and negotiations meaningless," emphasizing that under the current circumstances, planning nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States is pointless.

Baghaei also said, "The attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program by a regime (Israel) that possesses nuclear weapons has dealt a fatal blow to the non-proliferation regime and international law," adding that Iran is pursuing measures through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and BRICS to halt Israel’s military actions.

Meanwhile, Hossein Kermanpour, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Health, announced on X (formerly Twitter) the previous day that at least 224 people had died and a total of 1,481 casualties had resulted from Israel’s attacks on Iran since the 13th, with more than 90% of the injured being civilians.