- Eight days of conflict in Iran have resulted in over 1,200 civilian deaths and 10,000 injuries
- Twenty-five hospitals damaged, nine out of service, along with ambulances and health centers
- WHO reports 13 verified attacks on healthcare in Iran and warns of broader public health risks
"Eight days of war have brought devastation to civilians in Iran" Hossein Kermanpour, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health, said in a post on X, detailing the mounting human and infrastructure toll since US and Israeli strikes began.
According to Kermanpour, more than 10,000 civilians have been injured and over 1,200 people killed, including around 200 children under the age of 12 and about 200 women. He added that around 1,400 women have also been injured since the strikes began.
The conflict has also severely impacted Iran's healthcare system. Kermanpour said 25 hospitals have been damaged, with nine now out of service, while 18 pre-hospital emergency bases and 14 ambulances have been destroyed. In addition, two county health centres, 17 comprehensive health service centres and two rural health houses have also been damaged in the strikes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also expressed concern over the impact of the escalating conflict. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, "the conflict across Iran and the wider Middle East has killed more than 1,000 people, displaced over 100,000 and affected 16 countries." The WHO chief said the agency has verified 13 attacks on healthcare in Iran and one in Lebanon, stressing that "attacks on health care violate humanitarian law."
He also warned that the conflict carries broader public health dangers. "Nuclear risks pose grave public health threats," he said, adding that "operations at the WHO's Logistics Hub for Global Health Emergencies in Dubai are currently on hold due to insecurity."
Satellite images and verified videos reviewed by international monitors indicate that schools, hospitals, and historic landmarks have been hit since the attacks began on February 28. Recent strikes have damaged hospitals and other civilian facilities located near military targets, raising concerns about the risks of bombing in densely populated areas.
Communicating with people inside Iran has also become increasingly difficult. Authorities have imposed an almost total internet blackout, making it challenging to access video footage and verify conditions on the ground.
A non-profit and non-governmental organization, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has found that at least 752 attacks across 148 incidents in 30 provinces have been recorded since the start of the conflict. According to HRANA's aggregated data as of March 8, at least 1,205 civilian deaths, including 194 children, along with 187 military fatalities and 316 deaths that remain unclassified.
The group said Tehran province has been the most heavily targeted, accounting for around 34 per cent of the attacks, followed by Isfahan (about 8 per cent) and Kermanshah (around 6 per cent). Khuzestan, Alborz and several western provinces have also reported significant strikes.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the destruction extends well beyond medical facilities. Its head, Dr Pir Hossein Kolivand, said nearly 10,000 residential and commercial units have been damaged in recent airstrikes.
According to field assessments compiled by emergency teams, 7,943 residential units and 1,617 commercial units have been damaged. The strikes also hit 32 pharmaceutical and medical centres and 65 schools, while 13 Red Crescent facilities suffered damage.
Emergency response infrastructure has also taken a hit. Kolivand said 15 operational vehicles were damaged, including 13 ambulances, while seven rescue workers were injured in cities including Tehran, Mahabad and Khomein.
The conflict has also taken a toll on healthcare workers themselves. Kolivand said 11 healthcare workers have been killed and 33 injured since the strikes began.
In one such incident, Hengaw Organization for Human Rights-an independent organization covering human rights violations across Iran-reported that two emergency medical technicians, Hooshang Tork Alia and Sajjad Charkhandeh, were killed after an Emergency Medical Services base in the Zibashahr district of Shiraz was struck during airstrikes on March 5.
Damage to hospitals has raised alarm among health authorities. Mohammad Raeiszadeh, head of Iran's Medical Council, told state media that the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) department of a hospital was destroyed in one of the strikes.
Amin Niakan, deputy for treatment at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, said the EMS 115 base building and two ambulances stationed there were completely destroyed in the attack.
Urging all sides to protect health workers, patients and medical facilities, the WHO chief said, "Attacks on health care violate humanitarian law... Peace is the best medicine".
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