Iran Denounces US Strike Near Children’s Cancer Hospital as ‘War Crime’

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said an overnight strike hit an area near Shahid Baqaei Specialized Hospital, a major children’s cancer hospital, forcing medical staff to evacuate 211 children receiving cancer treatment, including chemotherapy patients.

In a post on X, Baqaei called the attack “barbaric” and compared it to Israeli strikes on healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip.

“This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety among hospitalized children and forced the emergency evacuation of 211 patients undergoing chemotherapy,” Baqaei said. “This constitutes a cowardly war crime against the most innocent of human beings—children who are bravely fighting for their lives.”

Hospital officials said the explosion happened close to the hospital. Hospital manager Dr. Majid Bou’azar said all 211 patients had to be moved under emergency conditions after the strike.

“These are highly vulnerable patients, including children undergoing cancer treatment,” he told Al Jazeera.

Medical workers said there was panic as doctors and nurses rushed sick children to safety.

“Some of the patients were on oxygen support and ventilators,” one hospital employee said. “Parents were carrying children in their arms. Others were moved with intravenous lines still attached or transported in wheelchairs.”

Hospital director Reza Bazar said nearby explosions disrupted hospital operations and temporarily made parts of the facility unusable, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

The incident comes as the US military campaign has expanded, with Iran saying civilian infrastructure has also been targeted.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on the international community, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to condemn the attack. It said strikes that put medical facilities at risk violate international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which protect hospitals and medical workers during war.

Iranian officials said attacks that endanger healthcare facilities are serious violations of international law, even if hospitals are not directly hit.

The Iranian government has repeatedly accused Washington of expanding the conflict by targeting civilian infrastructure and warned that such actions reduce the chances of reaching a negotiated end to the war.

The incident has increased international concern about the safety of medical facilities during armed conflicts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned that attacks affecting hospitals, ambulances and healthcare workers have serious humanitarian consequences. It says medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law and must never be targeted during military operations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also said all parties in a conflict must distinguish between military targets and civilian infrastructure and protect hospitals and patients.

While neither organization had issued a specific public statement on the Ahvaz incident at the time of reporting, both have repeatedly called for full respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of healthcare services in conflict areas.

Humanitarian observers also warned that interrupting cancer treatment for children could put their lives at immediate risk and affect their recovery.

The incident has raised fears that continued attacks on civilian infrastructure and healthcare services could further escalate the conflict and make efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire more difficult.