The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, has stated that damage to the Pasteur Institute resulting from attacks by the United States and Israel poses a serious threat to both national and regional health security.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Baghaei made these remarks in a post on his social media account, condemning the strikes on the medical and scientific facility.
Referencing a warning published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, the spokesperson emphasized that the institute is considered one of the fundamental pillars of Iran's public health infrastructure. According to the report, the journal warned that any cessation of the institute's activities would create a "real, urgent, and dangerous threat to public health." Baghaei noted that an attack on a century-old scientific and public health institution is not merely an assault on a building, but a violation of the rights to health, science, and life. He stressed that such actions could lead to severe consequences for health security and scientific research across the region.
The Pasteur Institute of Iran, established in 1920, is a leading biomedical research center responsible for the production of essential vaccines and the monitoring of infectious diseases. As a key member of the International Pasteur Network, the institute plays a vital role in regional disease control and public health surveillance. Under international humanitarian law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, medical and scientific facilities providing civilian healthcare are granted protected status, and direct attacks on such infrastructure are classified as violations of international norms.
