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 to conceive, until recently turning to in vitro fertilization at Tehran’s Ghandi hospital. The couple’s journey had been arduous, with the hospital staff offering unwavering support. “After a decade of attempts, we finally had hope,” Mohsen recalls. Yet this hope was shattered on Sunday, the second day of a US-Israeli bombing campaign that devastated Iran.
A Personal Loss
The strike targeted a prominent private hospital, leaving the fertility clinic in ruins. Mohammad Hassan Bani Asad, director of Gandhi hospital, reported that one staff member suffered severe injuries, including brain bleeding, requiring surgery. Firouzeh, still reeling, says, “Now, after hearing about the attack on the IVF section, we feel like we are losing our minds.” She expresses uncertainty: “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.”
“In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies.”
Like many Iranians, Mohsen and Firouzeh are identified only by their first names due to security concerns. The strikes have extended beyond hospitals, destroying homes and even a primary school where around 150 girls aged seven to twelve perished. Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also sustained damage.
The Red Crescent Society confirmed at least 787 fatalities, with attacks impacting over 150 cities. Negin, a resident of Tehran’s Shariati neighborhood, witnessed an air strike hit the nearby Army hospital. “I saw things I would never have believed if I hadn’t seen them myself,” she tells Middle East Eye. She claims dozens were killed, describing the destruction as “terrible.”
“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, noted the strikes have targeted at least ten medical centers. “They showed during the Gaza tragedy that they cannot stop attacks on hospitals and medical centres,” he says, drawing parallels to Israel’s actions in the region. The Israeli military issued a statement after the Gandhi hospital strike, asserting the damage was “minor and collateral,” while claiming the target was nearby military infrastructure.
“Israel keeps saying it only targets military sites,” Mohammadali, a 32-year-old worker, adds. “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.”
Salmaz, a nurse at Gandhi hospital, describes the chaos: “We were working as usual when a loud blast shattered the air. The force threw me into my office corner. The building caught fire. Everyone was screaming, trying to escape.” Amid the turmoil, her team prioritized newborns in the ward. “In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies,” she says, calling the event “only in movies.”
Residential buildings and offices have also been damaged, with Mohammadali’s workplace on Motahari Street reduced to rubble. The strikes continue to disrupt daily life, leaving communities in disbelief and mourning.
