211 children undergoing cancer treatment evacuated after US strike near Iran hospital
More than 200 cancer patients, many of them children undergoing chemotherapy, were evacuated from a specialised hospital in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, after a US airstrike hit a nearby area, according to Iranian authorities.
The Shahid Baqaei Children's Cancer Hospital was temporarily rendered non-operational as emergency teams moved 211 patients to safer medical facilities due to concerns over their safety.
Iran condemned the incident, calling it a "barbaric attack" and accusing the United States of endangering civilians and critical healthcare infrastructure. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the evacuation caused severe distress to children receiving life-saving treatment and described the strike as a violation of humanitarian principles.
The US has not issued a specific response regarding the reported impact on the hospital. The incident comes as military tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate, with both sides exchanging strikes across the region.
International humanitarian organisations have repeatedly stressed that hospitals and medical facilities must be protected during armed conflicts under international law. The latest development has further heightened concerns over the safety of civilians caught in the ongoing hostilities.
