Tehran IVF clinic devastated by US-Israeli attack as hospitals and homes hit
Tehran IVF clinic devastated by US-Israeli attack as hospitals and homes hit
For years, Mohsen and Firouzeh struggled with infertility, eventually seeking treatment at a fertility clinic within Tehran’s Ghandi hospital. Their journey was filled with hope, culminating in a breakthrough after a decade of efforts.
“The hospital staff worked so hard to help us,” Mohsen says. “After 10 years of trying, we finally had hope.”
On Sunday, the second day of a brutal US-Israeli bombing campaign, the clinic was hit by a missile strike, causing “very serious damage” to its operations. Mohammad Hassan Bani Asad, director of Gandhi hospital, reported that one employee sustained critical injuries, including brain bleeding, requiring emergency surgery.
“Now, after hearing about the attack on the IVF section, we feel like we are losing our minds,” Firouzeh says. “We don’t know what has happened. We don’t know what happened to our samples. We don’t know if all these years of effort and hope are gone.”
While the US and Israel claim their strikes target Iran’s leadership and military, the damage extends far beyond. Iranians describe residential areas, hospitals, and even a primary school as casualties, with around 150 girls aged seven to twelve killed in one such strike. Golestan Palace, a UNESCO-listed heritage site, also suffered structural harm.
Unprecedented civilian toll
According to the Red Crescent Society, over 787 lives have been lost in attacks spanning more than 150 cities. Negin, a resident of Tehran’s Shariati neighborhood, witnessed an air strike destroy a nearby Army hospital. “I saw things that I would never have believed if I hadn’t seen them myself,” she tells Middle East Eye.
“Two streets above our home are the Joint Staff headquarters of the army and the Revolutionary Court. They hit that area,” she says. “But many residential homes on the same street were completely destroyed.”
Iran’s Medical Council head, Mohammad Raiszadeh, highlighted the destruction of at least ten medical centers, drawing comparisons to Israel’s assault on Gaza hospitals. “They showed during the Gaza tragedy that they cannot stop attacks on hospitals and medical centres,” he remarks.
Chaos in the heart of the hospital
The strike on Gandhi hospital left visible devastation, prompting the Israeli military to release a statement. It claimed the damage was “minor and collateral,” asserting the target was nearby military infrastructure. Yet hospital staff tell a different tale.
“We were working as usual when we suddenly heard a loud blast,” says Salmaz, a nurse. “The force of it threw me into the corner of my office. The building caught fire. Everyone was screaming and trying to escape.”
Amid the turmoil, Salmaz and her team focused on rescuing newborns. “In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies,” she adds. “I have never seen anything like this in my life. Only in movies.”
Residential buildings and offices have also been impacted. Mohammadali, a 32-year-old worker on Motahari Street, recounted how his workplace was obliterated. “Israel keeps saying it only targets military sites,” he says. “Our company creates advertising content for small businesses. What does that have to do with the government or the Revolutionary Guard? They destroyed our office, and one of our colleagues is now fighting for her life.”
Niloufar Square in Tehran, a vibrant public space, was another area severely affected during Sunday night’s attacks. The strikes have left a lasting mark on both infrastructure and civilian lives, with the scale of destruction raising urgent concerns about the humanitarian impact.
