WHO: US-Israeli Attacks Render Iran's Pasteur Center Out of Service
WHO Confirms Critical Health Infrastructure Destroyed as Attacks on Medical Facilities Surge Across Iran
- Publish date: Friday، 03 April 2026 Reading time: 1 min read
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Iran's Pasteur Institute has been rendered "unable to continue delivering health services" following a series of US-Israeli attacks. The destruction of this critical facility marks a severe blow to the country's medical infrastructure, particularly given its role as a collaborating center for the WHO.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, announced on the social media platform X that two of the institute's departments were actively functioning as WHO collaborating centers prior to the strikes. Their incapacitation disrupts vital health initiatives and disease surveillance capabilities within the region.
The attacks on the Pasteur Institute were part of a broader campaign targeting Iran's healthcare system. On March 29, the Delaram Sina Psychiatric Hospital was struck, and on March 31, the Tofigh Daru pharmaceutical complex, a key producer of medications for cancer and multiple sclerosis, came under fire. These incidents have severely compromised the availability of essential treatments for vulnerable patient populations.
According to the WHO, since March 1, the organization has verified more than 20 attacks on healthcare facilities across Iran. These assaults have resulted in at least nine deaths, including the tragic loss of an infectious diseases health worker and a member of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The violence has not been confined to the capital. On March 21, an explosion near the Imam Ali Hospital in Andimeshk, located in Khuzestan province, forced the evacuation of the facility and led to a complete cessation of services. The WHO continues to monitor the situation, emphasizing the urgent need to protect medical personnel and infrastructure to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.