Attack on Pasteur Institute of Iran Is an Assault on People’s Right to Health, Science, and Life

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman says an attack against a century-old scientific and public health center like the Pasteur Institute of Iran is not an attack on a building; it is an assault on people’s right to health, science, and life.

Iran (IMNA) - In a post on his X account late on Thursday, Esmaeil Baghaei wrote, “The Lancet, a world-leading medical journal has warned that damage to Pasteur Institute of Iran, as the result of US-Israeli attacks, threatens regional health security.”

“According to The Lancet, ‘The Pasteur Institute of Iran has been a pillar of the country’s public health system for more than a century. This institute has provided key public health infrastructure on multiple fronts, including vaccine development and production, national reference laboratory services, diagnostics, and genomic surveillance for infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and viral hepatitis. The loss of the institute is not merely symbolic; it represents a real, immediate, and dangerous threat to public health. [...] This is not solely a national issue; regional health security is also at risk’,” Baghaei noted.

In March 2026, the Pasteur Institute of Iran sustained considerable damage from airstrikes, representing a severe threat to public health infrastructure... he stressed.

Attacking Iran Pasteur Inst. menaces regional health security

“The American-Israeli deliberate attack on the Pasteur Institute of Iran was a flagrant war crime. The perpetrators must be held accountable,” he stated.

He emphasized that this prestigious medical institute has played a key and important role in the production and development of vaccines, reference laboratory services, disease diagnosis, and monitoring of infectious and contagious diseases, including COVID-19, cholera, rabies, measles, tuberculosis, AIDS, and viral hepatitis. Damage to this institute is not just a symbolic loss, but a serious and immediate threat to public health. This issue is not limited to Iran and could affect public health throughout the region.

News ID 973304

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