Iran’s Health Ministry has reported extensive civilian casualties and widespread damage to healthcare infrastructure following eight days of strikes it says were carried out by the United States and Israel. Officials say more than 1,200 people have been killed and over 10,000 civilians injured since the attacks began on February 28, while the World Health Organization has warned that the escalating conflict poses “grave public health threats” across the region.

Hossein Kermanpour, spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry, said the casualties include about 200 children under the age of 12 and roughly 200 women, while nearly 1,400 women have also been injured. “Eight days of war have brought devastation to civilians in Iran,” Kermanpour wrote in a post on the social platform X, describing the growing toll on both people and medical infrastructure across the country.

The strikes have severely affected Iran’s healthcare system, according to officials. Kermanpour said at least 25 hospitals have been damaged, with nine now out of service. In addition, 18 pre-hospital emergency bases and 14 ambulances were destroyed, along with two county health centres, 17 comprehensive health service centres, and two rural health houses. Authorities say the loss of facilities and emergency vehicles has significantly hindered the ability to treat injured civilians in several regions.

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The World Health Organization has expressed alarm over the broader humanitarian impact. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the conflict across Iran and parts of the Middle East has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced over 100,000 across 16 countries. The agency has verified 13 attacks on healthcare facilities in Iran and one in Lebanon, stressing that strikes on medical services violate international humanitarian law and warning that nuclear-related risks could present “grave public health threats.”

Independent monitoring groups have also documented widespread destruction. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported at least 752 attacks across 148 incidents in 30 provinces as of March 8. Its aggregated data indicates 1,205 civilian deaths, including 194 children, alongside 187 military fatalities and hundreds of deaths still unclassified. Tehran province accounted for roughly 34 percent of the strikes, followed by Isfahan and Kermanshah, with several western provinces also reporting heavy bombardment.

Iranian relief authorities say the damage extends far beyond hospitals. The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that nearly 10,000 residential and commercial units have been damaged, including 7,943 homes and 1,617 businesses. Strikes also hit 32 pharmaceutical and medical centres and 65 schools, while 13 Red Crescent facilities were damaged. Emergency response operations have also been affected, with 13 ambulances destroyed, several rescue vehicles damaged, and multiple aid workers injured. The WHO has urged all parties to protect healthcare workers and medical facilities, emphasizing that “peace is the best medicine.”

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