Iran has urged global intervention after air strikes by the United States and Israel caused damage to hospitals, schools, and humanitarian facilities.
Authorities warn that civilian infrastructure is increasingly at risk as missile and drone attacks continue across the country.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the strikes “continue to indiscriminately strike residential areas, sparing neither hospitals, schools, Red Crescent facilities, nor cultural monuments.”
Baghaei described the attacks as “heinous crimes of international concern,” warning that ignoring such actions threatens global shared values.
Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to explicitly condemn attacks impacting children and humanitarian facilities. He emphasized that these centers have no military applications and urged immediate measures under the Geneva Conventions to prevent further incidents.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric reiterated the need to protect civilian infrastructure, saying medical personnel and first responders must be allowed to work safely.
Hospitals damaged, evacuations underway
Multiple hospitals across Iran have been damaged, prompting evacuations. In Tehran, strikes damaged medical centers in two areas, including Gandhi Hospital, where the in-vitro fertilization department was destroyed. Staff had to relocate embryos and patients amid the attack.
Footage circulating online showed plumes of smoke and debris near Khatam al-Anbiya Hospital, Motahari Hospital, and Valiasr Hospital. While no hospital was directly hit, several sustained collateral damage.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called reports of hospital damage “extremely worrying” and confirmed verification efforts are underway.
Additional attacks on Monday damaged the main building of Tehran’s medical emergency services, injuring several staff members, while hospitals in Ahvaz, East Azerbaijan, Sistan-Baluchistan, and Hamedan provinces were also affected.
Iranian authorities reported at least 555 fatalities after strikes hit 131 counties across the country.
Schools and sports centers targeted
Air strikes also damaged educational and recreational facilities. In Tehran’s Narmak neighborhood, a high school was hit, reportedly killing two children. A sports center in Lamerd, Fars province, also suffered casualties.
The deadliest incident occurred at a girls’ school in Minab, where 165 people were killed and 95 injured, most of them children. Local officials continue to work through the debris and release victim information cautiously.
The US has said it is investigating civilian casualty reports, while the Israeli military claimed no awareness of strikes in the school’s area. Education International condemned attacks on schools, calling for protection of children and education infrastructure.
Global response
Iranian authorities are calling for international solidarity and urgent action to prevent further attacks on hospitals, schools, and humanitarian centers. The Red Crescent and ICRC have both stressed adherence to international humanitarian law, while the United Nations continues to monitor the situation closely.
