Iran says strikes hit historic Pasteur Institute in Tehran: What to know
Al-Monitor • • world
Key Points:
- Iranian officials reported that US-Israeli strikes targeted Tehran’s historic Pasteur Institute, causing extensive damage to the century-old public health and research center.
- The Pasteur Institute, established in the early 1920s in collaboration with the Paris-based Pasteur Institute, has been a cornerstone of Iran’s infectious disease control, vaccine production, and public health infrastructure.
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the attack as a "barbaric assault" on human values and a war crime, while neither the US nor Israel has claimed responsibility.
- Experts highlight the institute as a symbol of Iran’s modernization and health care system, with destruction seen as an attempt to undermine Iran’s scientific legacy.
- The strike is part of ongoing conflict-related violence since February 28, which has resulted in over 3,500 deaths, including significant civilian casualties.
