Conflict Disrupts Healthcare and Education in Southern Iran

Recent military attacks in Iran’s southern Khuzestan Province have temporarily disrupted healthcare services and education, forcing the evacuation of a specialized children’s hospital and the postponement of final school examinations.

Following explosions near Shahid Baghaei 2 Hospital in Ahvaz, a referral center for pediatric oncology and hematology patients, authorities evacuated all patients to other hospitals across the city within 12 hours. According to Iran’s Ministry of Health, no patients were injured during the transfer, and medical care continued uninterrupted. The hospital resumed operations shortly after security conditions improved.

Health Ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour said the incident highlights the need to reconsider the placement of hospitals and educational institutions near military facilities, noting that modern warfare increasingly targets specific strategic locations.

The conflict has also affected the education sector. Iran’s Ministry of Education postponed final examinations for 11th- and 12th-grade students in Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces due to security concerns.

Teachers and students described growing uncertainty and psychological stress, with many expressing concern over the impact of the conflict on academic performance and university entrance exam preparation.