Iran protests to WHO following US-Israeli attacks on health sector
Iran’s health and labor ministers have strongly condemned recent US-Israeli airstrikes on the country’s medical and pharmaceutical infrastructure, stating that the attacks are serious violations of international humanitarian law and pose direct threats to civilian health and safety.
In a formal letter to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Health Minister Mohammadreza Zafarghandi said Iran’s healthcare system is facing unprecedented pressure following recent military strikes by the United States and Israel.
According to the minister, the attacks damaged critical infrastructure, disrupted essential medical services, and resulted in the deaths and injuries of healthcare and emergency personnel.
He said the destruction of treatment centers and the killing of aid workers had severely complicated the delivery of urgent care to the wounded, patients, and civilians — particularly women and children.
Zafarghandi described the attacks as a clear example of warmongering against health and human security, warning that strikes on civilian targets and national infrastructure could trigger serious environmental and public health disasters.
He called on the WHO, as the leading international body responsible for global health, to unequivocally condemn any attack on civilian infrastructure, especially medical centers and emergency responders.
He also urged the organization to establish an immediate mechanism for humanitarian assistance to Iran, including the delivery of medicines, medical equipment, and Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) to support the country’s strained health system.
In a separate reaction, Minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare Ahmad Meydari condemned a “criminal assault” on a pharmaceutical company affiliated with Iran’s workers and retirees’ community.
In a statement issued following the incident, Meydari said the facility was struck in the early hours of Tuesday in a hostile attack, calling the act a blatant violation of internationally recognized norms and fundamental humanitarian principles.
He said the company is one of Iran’s leading producers of advanced active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), specialized medicines for patients with chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, anti-cancer drugs, and innovative pharmaceutical products in biotechnology and medicinal peptides.
Meydari said targeting such a facility was not only an attack on Iran’s scientific and industrial infrastructure, but also a serious threat to public health and the fundamental right to life for patients dependent on these medicines.
He added that the incident showed that the aggressors sought to undermine healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical security in pursuit of military objectives.
The labor minister called on international organizations, particularly those active in the field of health, to take effective steps to prevent such actions and respond to barbaric attacks.
He also said his ministry would continue to support scientific progress, strengthen domestic pharmaceutical capabilities, and fully back professionals working in the health sector.
Despite the incident, Meydari said, Iran’s determination to produce essential medicines and maintain healthcare services would remain unchanged, with development and service delivery continuing “with even greater speed and cohesion.”
The United States and Israel launched the aggression against Iran on February 28, assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military commanders despite indirect Tehran-Washington negotiations on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
In response, the Iranian armed forces have been engaged in daily decisive retaliatory missile and drone operations against US interests across West Asia and Israeli positions in the occupied teterritories.
