During more than twelve days of direct and coordinated U.S.-Israeli aggression on Iranian soil, what became most evident was not an effort to contain Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but a deliberate assault on innocent lives, destruction of vital infrastructure, and a campaign of social terror. As of June 23, Iran’s Ministry of Health reported the martyrdom of 627 citizens. This figure covers only public hospitals under the ministry’s jurisdiction, excluding military and non-governmental medical centers—meaning the real death toll is likely higher.

Target of the Assault: Not Fordow, but “People’s Lives”

The assertions by Tel Aviv and Washington that the strikes had crippled Iran’s nuclear infrastructure were swiftly contradicted by international media such as CNN, The New York Times, Associated Press, and even some Israeli outlets. These sources acknowledged that Iran’s main nuclear facilities remain operational, the centrifuges largely intact, and that aside from several months of delay, the technical framework of Iran’s nuclear program remains unharmed.

In contrast, the real targets were medical centers, civilian homes, public health infrastructure, and the bodies of innocent people. Precision strikes on hospitals and clinics, the destruction of ambulances, and the obliteration of emergency stations reveal a deliberate decision to target civilians—not uranium enrichment.

According to the head of the Ministry of Health’s Information Center, 13 children were martyred in the strikes—the youngest a two-month-old infant. Forty-nine women were killed, including two who were pregnant. Among the wounded are 185 women and 65 people under the age of 20. These statistics alone expose the falsehood of Israeli claims that it struck only military positions. When a newborn, a pregnant woman, or a five-year-old girl is buried under the rubble of a bombing, there can be no doubt: the goal of these strikes was not to eliminate strategic threats, but to instill fear, terror, and social instability.

From June 13 to the ceasefire, 4,870 people were wounded. More than 1,000 remain hospitalized. A total of 687 surgeries have been performed, underscoring the severity of the injuries and the scale of the humanitarian disaster.

Even more tragic is the loss and injury of healthcare workers during their duties:

24 medical personnel were injured
5 doctors and nurses were martyred
7 hospitals were damaged
9 ambulances destroyed
6 emergency bases and 4 healthcare units were demolished

The airstrikes on Labbafi-Nejad Hospital and the Shahid Motahari Burn Center in the early hours of June 23 are among the latest war crimes that the international community cannot afford to ignore.

Human Solidarity Amid Bloodshed

Despite the staggering human toll, the unity between citizens and healthcare defenders reflected a different side of the Iranian nation. Within three days, over 4,643 healthcare workers voluntarily registered to assist. Doctors, nurses, service staff, and students rushed to help the injured on their own initiative. These scenes revealed a truth the enemy failed to grasp: each bomb and missile does not fracture Iran, but strengthens its resolve.

An Assault on Human Dignity

Under international humanitarian law, attacks on medical facilities, civilians, and public health infrastructure are considered war crimes. Israel’s deliberate targeting of patients and medical staff violates not only the Geneva Conventions and international accords, but constitutes a direct affront to human dignity. These crimes were not mistakes—they were part of a calculated effort to sow fear and inflict psychological collapse on Iranian society.

Though a ceasefire has now been declared, the events of these twelve days are etched into the collective memory of the Iranian people—and into the historical record of humanity. The world has now seen more clearly the face of a regime that does not even spare hospitals from its bombing maps.

In the days ahead, Iran must assertively and wisely raise global awareness of this systemic assault—not through slogans, but through evidence, numbers, images, and the voices of those who fell victim to this campaign of Zionist fear-mongering and greed.