Ali Jafarian said strikes by the United States and Israeli regime throughout the country have resulted in martyrdom and injuries primarily among civilians, and that bombings of oil installations have led to toxic fumes spreading over the capital, Tehran.
Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, Jafarian reported that no fewer than 1,255 individuals have died in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, among them 200 children and 11 medical personnel.
Their ages varied from eight months to 88 years old, he stated.
Emphasizing that the majority of those killed were non-combatants, Jafarian said: “They were living in their homes or (were) at their workplace.”
He further noted that over 12,000 people have sustained injuries, mainly from burns and crushing traumas.
Jafarian went on to say that 29 medical centers have been affected so far, with 10 of them compelled to close.
In addition, 52 health clinics, 18 sites for emergency services and 15 ambulances have also suffered damage or been ruined.
Jafarian cautioned about potential health dangers to residents following Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iran's oil infrastructure for the first time since the imposed war began late on Saturday, resulting in at least four fatalities.
“The whole city was dark until the afternoon yesterday,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to thick smoke that filled the sky over Tehran.
The strikes ignited major blazes as they targeted the Aghdasieh oil storage in northeastern Tehran, the Tehran refinery in the south and the Shahran oil depot in the west.
The minister alerted that this could lead to breathing difficulties for vulnerable groups, such as children and seniors, and recommended that people remain indoors with windows closed.
He also indicated that acid rain might contaminate the ground and create enduring ecological effects.
“And this is not a military issue. … This is not a military target,” he stated, in response to Israel claims that it hit “a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran” that were used “to operate military infrastructure”.
Moreover, such actions blatantly violate international legal standards protecting civilians and infrastructure.
Under Article 51 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, the civilian population shall not be the object of attack, and indiscriminate attacks are prohibited, including those expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to military gain.
Jafarian mentioned that more than 200 cities across Iran have been struck since the assaults started on February 28 and maintained that the objectives were predominantly civilian.
Meanwhile, the United States and Israeli regime persisted with bombardments on Iran on Monday, with blasts noted in Qom and Tehran.