The Cost of Twelve Days: Iran Tallies the Human and Medical Toll of the Latest Conflict

According to Saed News, the twelve-day military exchange between Iran and Israel—one of the most direct and destructive confrontations between the two adversaries in recent years—has left 610 people dead and nearly 4,800 injured, according to data published by Iran’s Ministry of Health. The figures, compiled by hospital networks and public health officials across the country, offer a rare quantitative glimpse into the domestic cost of a war that officials in Tehran insist was neither initiated nor welcomed by the Islamic Republic.

The head of the ministry’s public relations department, Hossein Kermanpour, disclosed the figures on June 24th, stating that Iranian hospitals had faced “extremely distressing” conditions. A total of 5,356 individuals were classified as either killed or wounded. Among the dead were 49 women, 13 children, and two pregnant women, including victims in both Tehran and Isfahan. The youngest was a two-month-old infant.

Of the 4,746 wounded, 971 remain hospitalized, while 3,436 have been treated and discharged. 255 individuals were treated on site. In total, 687 surgical procedures were performed in the span of less than two weeks—putting extraordinary strain on Iran’s healthcare system.

Medical personnel were also among the casualties. Twenty-five healthcare workers were harmed, including five killed. Infrastructural damage included seven hospitals, four public health centres, six emergency bases, and nine ambulances.

Iranian officials maintain that the strikes—originating from Israel and, in later stages, the United States—constituted acts of external aggression and targeted civilian areas. Kermanpour, writing on social media, questioned the sincerity of claims made by Israeli officials that the war was not directed at the Iranian population. “The facts on the ground suggest otherwise,” he said. He added that he harboured no confidence in the statements or intentions of what he termed “the most dishonest regime in the world and its Western allies.”

The release of these figures comes amid a tenuous ceasefire brokered with American mediation. While Iran has publicly stated that it has no desire to prolong the conflict, officials have simultaneously made clear that any further incursions will be met with force.

Whether the ceasefire holds remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is the toll already taken. With over 5,000 people affected, including women, children, and frontline healthcare workers, the brief war has left a scar that will extend well beyond the battlefield.