Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on X on Thursday that Shahid Baqaei Hospital, a pediatric cancer treatment center, was evacuated overnight after the United States struck a nearby location.

He said the attack caused widespread distress among young patients and disrupted life-saving medical care.

“This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the hospitalized children, and forced the emergency evacuation of 211 patients undergoing chemotherapy.

“This constitutes a cowardly war crime against the most innocent of human beings — children who are bravely fighting for their lives,” he added.

He also slammed governments that condemn human rights abuses selectively.

“Those who ceaselessly preach human rights, yet deliberately turn a blind eye to the targeting of hospitals and health centers, have forfeited every shred of moral credibility.”

Residents of Ahvaz reported hearing multiple explosions on Wednesday night after US strikes targeted several parts of the southwestern Iranian city, including areas near the hospital.

MNA