The Triangle of Silent Genocide in Iran: Siege, Sanctions, and the Destruction of Pharmaceutical Facilities

During the 40-day war, attacks were carried out against 25 Iranian pharmaceutical facilities. These attacks bore no military character; rather, they constituted a war directed entirely against the most vulnerable segments of Iranian society — amounting to what can only be described as pharmaceutical terrorism.

Among the facilities targeted were:

• Toufigh Darou, a manufacturer of medicines for patients suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), and hemophilia;
• The Pasteur Pharmaceutical Organization, a century-old institution engaged in vaccine research and production and recognized as a leading entity in the Middle East;
• Warehouses storing infant formula and MS medications;
• Saha Darou, affiliated with the Iranian Red Crescent Society, responsible for producing critical hospital supplies, including antibiotics and intravenous solutions.

These attacks by the United States and Israel directly targeted the most fundamental pillar of human life: access to essential medicines and healthcare infrastructure.

However, what has unfolded since the ceasefire is equally alarming. Beginning on April 13, the United States initiated a de facto naval blockade against Iran. This siege has effectively prevented the entry of shipments into the country, including food and medical supplies, thereby impacting 90 million civilians.

The situation is further exacerbated by long-standing unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and several other countries. These sanctions — widely criticized as contrary to humanitarian principles — continue to obstruct the procurement of essential medicines, even from neighboring countries, for affected civilians. Reports further indicate that a humanitarian medical aid aircraft was bombed at Mashhad Airport.

Many patients suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses require uninterrupted, often weekly, access to medication. The disruption of this lifeline would inevitably result in preventable and painful deaths for a significant number of individuals.

Although domestic pharmaceutical reserves may suffice for several months under wartime conditions, the deliberate targeting of healthcare facilities, combined with blockade measures and restrictive sanctions affecting access to medicine and infant nutrition, represents an extreme form of collective punishment against civilians — including newborns and patients with severe illnesses — and is functionally indistinguishable from direct lethal force against them.