The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over what it described as multiple attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran, particularly in the capital, Tehran, amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed on Friday that several health institutions have come under attack in recent days, raising serious concerns about the safety of medical infrastructure and personnel. �
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According to him, the Pasteur Institute of Iran, one of the country’s oldest and most important public health and research institutions, suffered extensive damage during an airstrike and has been rendered unable to continue providing health services. The institute is among at least 20 health facilities that the WHO has confirmed were targeted since the conflict intensified. �
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Founded in 1920, the Tehran-based institute has played a major role in disease research, emergency health response, and the promotion of public health across Iran.
Tedros noted that the facility remains a critical part of the country’s health system, particularly during emergencies, adding that attacks on such institutions threaten the wellbeing of civilians and disrupt essential medical services. �
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In a related development, authorities in Iran reported that another strike on Tuesday hit Tofigh Daru, one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies known for producing anaesthetic and cancer medications.
The Delaram Sina Psychiatric Hospital was also reported to have sustained significant damage, while the privately-owned Gandhi Hospital in northwestern Tehran reportedly had its windows shattered in the early days of the conflict. Even the WHO’s office in Tehran was not spared, as it reportedly suffered damage earlier this week. �
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The Pasteur Institute in Paris, in a statement, extended its sympathies to researchers, students, and civilian staff who may have been affected by the attacks.
Under the Geneva Conventions, hospitals and healthcare facilities are protected sites during armed conflict, making deliberate attacks on such infrastructure a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The latest warning comes as tensions continue to rise following military actions launched against Iran on February 28 over allegations related to nuclear weapons development — claims which Tehran has consistently denied.
WHO Raises Alarm Over Repeated Attacks on Health Facilities in Iran The World Health
