LONDON 

Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Saturday warned that the Middle East is “in flames” as conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran spreads across the region, with civilians paying a heavy price.

In a statement, Barth Eide said the situation has become “increasingly dramatic” two weeks after what he described as attacks on Iran by Israel and the US and that “at least 16 countries are now directly affected by the war.”

He highlighted the growing humanitarian toll, saying: “Across the Middle East, civilians have been caught in the crossfire. I am deeply concerned about the suffering people are now enduring.”

In Iran, he noted the impact of an airstrike on a girls’ school in the city of Minab, where “more than 170 people were killed when a girls’ school … was bombed.”

He also cited figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) that reported 18 verified attacks on Iranian hospitals so far in the conflict.

“Innocent civilians in Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain have also been killed and injured,” he said.

Barth Eide called for respect for international law, saying: “This is unacceptable. Civilians must be protected in times of war. It is particularly grave when humanitarian workers, health personnel and others on the front line of assistance become targets of military attacks.”

He warned of the long‑term consequences of damage to critical infrastructure. “There is also great cause for concern when critical civilian infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals, homes, and water and electricity supply systems, is struck by hostilities … What war destroys in an instant may take generations to rebuild.”

He stressed that international humanitarian law “obliges parties to a conflict to protect civilians … at all times" and urged all sides “to de‑escalate and to seek diplomatic solutions to the conflicts.”

Since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing some 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hostilities have escalated.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Hezbollah began targeting Israeli military sites on March 2 in response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite the November 2024 ceasefire and the killing of Khamenei in Tehran.

Israel expanded its campaign the same day with airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in southern and eastern Lebanon.

On March 3, Israel also launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon after beginning a joint campaign with the US against Iran on Feb. 28.

More than 825 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to the country’s Health Ministry on Saturday.