Middle East conflict nearing ‘point of no return,’ warns Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross has raised fresh alarm over the escalating Middle East conflict, warning that continued attacks on critical infrastructure could push the region toward catastrophic and irreversible consequences.

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, the organisation’s president, Mirjana Spoljaric, cautioned that recent developments signal a dangerous turning point in the war, particularly as strikes increasingly target essential services.

“What we have seen in recent days in the Middle East risks reaching a point of no return,” Spoljaric warned.

She expressed particular concern over the growing threat to sensitive installations, noting, “Most alarming is the potential harm to nuclear facilities, whether deliberate or incidental.”

Since the conflict intensified on February 28, with coordinated military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran, both sides have exchanged strikes that have increasingly affected energy and civilian infrastructure across the region. Over the weekend, tensions escalated further when an Iranian strike reportedly hit Dimona in southern Israel, home to a nuclear facility, which Tehran said was retaliation for an earlier attack on its Natanz nuclear site.

Spoljaric stressed the grave implications of such developments, stating, “Damage to these sites could trigger irreversible consequences, which is why they are afforded heightened protections under the rules of war.”

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She further condemned the pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure, warning that such actions blur the line between military operations and humanitarian violations. “War on essential infrastructure is war on civilians,” she said.

“Deliberate attacks on essential services and civilian infrastructure can amount to war crimes.”

Her remarks come amid shifting rhetoric from Donald Trump, who had earlier threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure if it failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route. Iran, in turn, signalled possible retaliation, including the deployment of naval mines and attacks on regional energy facilities.

However, Trump later softened his stance, saying he was suspending the ultimatum following “very good” discussions with unnamed Iranian officials. Iranian authorities, meanwhile, denied that any negotiations had taken place, suggesting the comments were aimed at influencing global energy markets.

Highlighting the humanitarian toll of the conflict, Spoljaric said, “Attacks on essential infrastructure have already punished millions of civilians both near and far from the front lines.”

She concluded with a stark warning about the broader implications of the ongoing hostilities: “This pattern, combined with an escalatory rhetoric that disregards the limits imposed by international humanitarian law, normalises a style of warfare that strips away our shared humanity.”

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