At the UN Human Rights Council, Iran has defended its actions, saying more than 1,500 civilians had been killed in the US-Israeli strikes so far, according to Reuters.

“We fight on behalf of all of you against an enemy that, if not restrained today, will be beyond containment tomorrow,” said Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ali Bahreini, referring to Israel.

While Gulf states received strong backing in the council on Wednesday, the International Service for Human Rights, an independent NGO, warned against “selective outrage”, calling instead for a focus on violations by all perpetrators.

Oman was one of the few countries to acknowledge that US-Israeli strikes had preceded Iran’s retaliatory attacks.