US missile strikes landed near a children's cancer hospital in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Thursday, prompting the evacuation of patients,
according to Iranian state media. Iran's Mehr news agency reported that the attack struck the vicinity of Shahid Baghaei Hospital, which provides chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients, including children. The agency said the hospital began a temporary evacuation after the strikes, with medical staff moving patients away from the facility. Iranian state-affiliated Fars news agency also reported that several missiles landed near the hospital, causing panic among patients and their families. According to Fars, children undergoing cancer treatment were relocated with the assistance of hospital staff as explosions were heard in the area. Neither report provided details of any casualties or confirmed whether the hospital itself had been damaged.
Following the criminal US attack on the area surrounding Ahvaz's Shahid Baghaei Hospital, 211 hospitalized patients were evacuated.
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The incident came after the US military announced a second wave of strikes against Iran within 24 hours. In a post on X, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had launched operations targeting Iranian military capabilities that it said were being used to threaten vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. "At 3 p.m. ET, U.S. forces launched operations for a second wave of strikes today against Iran," CENTCOM said.
It added that the US military was "holding Iran accountable" under the direction of President Donald Trump.
Earlier on Wednesday, CENTCOM had said that it had launched strikes on Iranian military targets, including "coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites" on Greater Tunb island in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the strikes were intended to reduce Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels passing through the strategically important waterway, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.
The latest strikes come as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate, with both countries carrying out military operations following the collapse of diplomatic efforts.
Ahvaz, the capital of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province near the Iraqi border, has been among the areas affected by the ongoing conflict.
In a statement addressed to the Iranian public, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran was engaged in an "existential war" with the United States and accused Washington of attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
Ghalibaf said Iran did not seek conflict but had to remain prepared for both military action and diplomacy.
"As I have repeatedly stated, negotiations at this stage do not amount to capitulation," he said. "Alongside war, they form part of the strategy of resistance and the protection of the national interest."
He added that Iran's next steps would be guided by the country's supreme leader. "We all have a duty to work for war, diplomacy or both, in accordance with the course he sets."
