Tehran, March 21 (ANI) — As the West Asia conflict entered its fourth week, University of Tehran Associate Professor Foad Izadi said more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in US‑Israeli strikes and called the escalation an “unnecessary war” when diplomatic options remained.
Izadi told ANI that civilians suffered disproportionately in the initial attacks. He said over 2,000 civilians were killed, including 165 young girls when a school was struck by American Tomahawk missiles on the first day of what he described as illegal attacks. “A diplomatic solution was available… This was an unnecessary war. Iran was not a threat to the United States,” he said.
He also pointed to comments by former US official Joe Kent, arguing Washington’s choices were influenced by Israeli pressure. Izadi said analysts need look no further than Kent’s resignation letter, in which the high‑ranking former Trump administration official blamed Israeli influence for pushing the US toward action.
Kent has publicly said Israel played a central role in driving the decision to strike, warning the move would trigger retaliation from Iran.
On Iran’s retaliatory strikes, Izadi defended attacks on US bases in the Gulf as legitimate because those facilities were being used to launch operations against Iran. He said Tehran initially limited its targets to military bases and avoided energy infrastructure until Iranian oil sites were struck, citing damage to the South Pars facility.
“Oil refineries are not normally legitimate military targets, but when they hit our side, Iran has no other option but to respond in kind,” Izadi told ANI, explaining why Iranian strikes later included energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the United States was not seeking a ceasefire at this stage. “We can have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side… we’re not looking to do that,” he said outside the White House before traveling to Florida. He later added that US operations could “wind down” once military objectives in the region, particularly regarding Iran, were achieved.
(Report sourced from ANI.)
