Stock Markets March 5, 2026

WHO Confirms Dozens of Attacks on Health Infrastructure in Iran, Four Medics Killed

Agency verifies 13 attacks in Iran and one in Lebanon; ambulances damaged and Dubai logistics hub temporarily offline

By Ajmal Hussain
WHO Confirms Dozens of Attacks on Health Infrastructure in Iran, Four Medics Killed

The World Health Organization has confirmed 13 attacks on health facilities in Iran and one in Lebanon amid a U.S.-Israeli campaign, reporting four health workers killed and 25 injured. WHO officials said ambulances and hospitals sustained damage and that a WHO logistics hub in Dubai is temporarily out of service due to transport restrictions.

Key Points

  • WHO verified 13 attacks on health care in Iran and one in Lebanon, reporting four health workers killed and 25 injured - impacts the health sector and frontline medical services.
  • Four ambulances in Iran were affected and hospitals and other health sites sustained minor damage, including the evacuation of a Tehran hospital - affects emergency response and local healthcare delivery.
  • WHO's logistics hub in Dubai that supplies health goods to dozens of countries is temporarily out of service due to transport restrictions - impacts medical supply chains and regional logistics.

GENEVA, March 5 - The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that it has verified multiple attacks on health infrastructure in Iran and Lebanon, confirming casualties and damage to medical transport and facilities.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the agency has verified 13 attacks on health care in Iran and one attack in Lebanon. Tedros provided the tallies at a press conference and did so without assigning responsibility for the strikes.

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, speaking at the same briefing, said the verified incidents in Iran resulted in the deaths of four health care workers and injuries to 25 others. She also reported that four ambulances in Iran were affected, and that hospitals and other health sites experienced minor damage linked to nearby strikes. The U.N. health agency had previously noted that one hospital in Tehran was evacuated following damage or risk from the strikes.

In a separate communication earlier this week, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva wrote to the WHO Director-General alleging that 10 facilities had been struck by military action. The WHO account and the ambassador's letter provide overlapping but not identical tallies of damaged infrastructure.

Dr. Balkhy additionally said that the WHO logistics hub in Dubai, which supplies health commodities to dozens of countries, is temporarily out of service. She attributed the suspension to transport restrictions across the region that are limiting the hub's ability to operate and move supplies.

The WHO statements outline both human tolls and disruptions to medical transport and supply chains. The confirmed casualty figures and the reported impact on ambulances and hospitals reflect direct effects on frontline care delivery. The interruption at the Dubai logistics hub points to a secondary operational challenge for distribution of medical supplies to multiple countries.

The WHO provided these details in its Geneva briefing without naming parties responsible for the strikes. The organization conveyed verified counts of incidents, casualties, and logistical disruptions as it continues to monitor the situation.

Risks

  • Disruption to medical services and emergency response in affected areas due to damage to ambulances and facilities - primarily affects the healthcare sector.
  • Temporary suspension of the WHO Dubai logistics hub could constrain distribution of medical supplies across multiple countries, posing supply chain and humanitarian delivery risks - impacts logistics and health supply sectors.
  • Uncertainty over the continuation or escalation of strikes, given verified attacks and differing facility counts reported by authorities - creates operational and planning risks for health providers in the region.

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