Tehran IVF clinic devastated by US-Israeli attack as hospitals and homes hit
A couple’s hopes for parenthood shattered in bombing campaign
Mohsen and Firouzeh have endured years of infertility struggles before opting for in vitro fertilization at Tehran’s Ghandi hospital. Their journey, marked by persistent efforts, finally sparked optimism after a decade of setbacks.
“The hospital staff worked tirelessly to support us,” Mohsen shares. “After 10 years of trying, we finally had a glimmer of hope.”
However, the devastation began on Sunday, the second day of a relentless US-Israeli bombing campaign targeting Iran. A strike on the hospital reportedly caused severe damage to its fertility department, upending the couple’s plans.
Mohammad Hassan Bani Asad, director of Gandhi hospital, informed local outlets that one employee suffered critical injuries, including cerebral bleeding, requiring emergency surgery.
“Now, after the attack on the IVF section, we feel as though we’ve lost our sanity,” Firouzeh laments. “We don’t know what happened. We don’t know if our samples are gone. We don’t know if all our years of effort are wasted.”
Residents of Tehran, including Mohsen and Firouzeh, use only their first names for safety. The U.S. and Israel justify their strikes as targeting Iran’s leadership, military, and nuclear facilities. Several high-ranking officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been killed so far.
Yet on the ground, the toll extends beyond political figures. Strikes have obliterated homes, crippled medical facilities, and even claimed lives in a primary school, where around 150 girls aged seven to twelve were killed.
Golestan Palace, a UNESCO-listed heritage site, also sustained damage. The Red Crescent Society reported at least 787 fatalities, with attacks impacting over 150 cities nationwide.
Impact on everyday lives and medical infrastructure
Negin, from Tehran’s Shariati neighborhood, witnessed an air strike demolish the Army hospital near her home. “I saw horrors I couldn’t imagine without seeing them myself,” she tells Middle East Eye.
“I fled the area in terror, but I believe dozens perished in the blast,” Negin says. “The Joint Staff headquarters and Revolutionary Court are just two streets away. They hit that zone, yet many residential buildings on the same street were reduced to rubble.”
Mohammad Raiszadeh, head of Iran’s Medical Council, noted that the U.S. and Israel have struck at least ten medical centers. He drew comparisons to Israel’s actions in Gaza, where hospitals were systematically targeted.
“They showed during Gaza’s crisis that they can’t halt attacks on medical facilities,” Raiszadeh says. “We expect little support from the World Health Organization or other global groups.”
The Israeli military later released a statement, claiming the Gandhi hospital suffered only “minor and collateral damage.” They cited military infrastructure near the site as the primary target.
Staff at the hospital, however, recount a different reality. Salmaz, a nurse, described the chaos when the explosion struck. “We were doing our routine when a massive blast shook everything,” she recalls. “The force hurled me into the corner of my office. The building was engulfed in flames. Everyone screamed and scrambled for safety.”
“In those terrible moments, we were just trying to save the babies,” Salmaz says. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life—only in movies.”
She remains in disbelief, adding, “That awful sound won’t leave my ears.”
Residential and commercial buildings, too, have been hit. Mohammadali, a 32-year-old worker at an advertising firm on Motahari Street, says his office was destroyed in an air strike. A young colleague was severely injured, now in critical condition.
“Israel claims it only targets military sites,” Mohammadali says. “Our company produces content for small businesses. What does that have to do with the government or Revolutionary Guard? They obliterated our office, and one of our coworkers is fighting for her life.”
As the campaign continues, the human toll grows. From fertility clinics to schools, the strikes leave a trail of destruction, reshaping lives and landscapes alike.
