Tehran, Iran - Reports indicate that Gandhi Hospital, a facility serving children in Tehran, sustained significant damage following airstrikes on March 1st and 2nd, 2026. Footage released by Iranian sources, including the Iranian Embassy in India, shows extensive structural damage, shattered glass, and scenes of chaos within and around the hospital. Patients were reportedly evacuated from the premises.
The strikes on Gandhi Hospital, if confirmed as targeting a civilian medical facility, represent a notable deviation from stated Israeli military objectives which claimed to be focused on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. This incident occurred during the second day of a broader US-Israeli military offensive against Iran, launched in the wake of the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Eyewitness Accounts and Official Reactions
Witnesses in the Gandhi Street area told Reuters that the hospital suffered "significant damage." The World Health Organization has expressed grave concern, labeling the incident "extremely worrying" and emphasizing the protected status of health facilities under international humanitarian law. While Iranian state media referred to the strikes as "Zionist-American" attacks, official statements from the US and Israel regarding specific targeting of the hospital have not been detailed.
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Context of Escalation
The airstrikes on Gandhi Hospital form part of a wider military campaign initiated by the US and Israel. This offensive, which began on February 28th, 2026, has reportedly targeted ballistic missile sites and other military assets across Iran. Iran, in turn, has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, US military bases in the Gulf, and reportedly, the Saudi capital and Dubai. The conflict has seen over 600 medical sites allegedly hit, according to Iranian assertions. The campaign's intensification followed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
