USA-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran Sparks Regional Crisis and Humanitarian Catastrophe

The military campaign initiated on February 28, 2026, by the United States and Israel against Iran has led to systematic destruction of health infrastructure and severe humanitarian consequences for civilians, according to a correspondence published in The Lancet on April 25, 2026.

The Lancet correspondence, titled “[Correspondence] Systematic health destruction in Iran by Operation Epic Fury,” documents widespread damage to hospitals, clinics, and essential health services across Iran resulting from sustained military strikes. The report identifies the collapse of life-sustaining systems for civilian populations, including those previously affected by domestic repression under the Islamic Republic.

Web search results confirm that the U.S.-Israeli military campaign began in the early hours of February 28, 2026, targeting key leadership, air defense capabilities, missile sites, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. The strikes expanded to include numerous sites in Tehran and across Iran, resulting in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and at U.S. Military bases and allied locations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, including strikes on oil and gas facilities and residential areas. These retaliatory actions have further extended the geographic scope of the conflict and its health impacts.

The Lancet correspondence emphasizes that the ferocity and duration of the strikes have led to violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), particularly through damage to civilian infrastructure essential for health and survival. This includes the destruction of medical facilities, disruption of water and sanitation systems, and interference with food distribution networks.

Additional reporting from Refugees International, dated March 11, 2026, highlights specific incidents of civilian harm, including an apparent U.S. Strike on a school in Minab, Iran, which killed an estimated 175 people, most of whom were children. The organization described this as potentially the largest number of child casualties in a single U.S. Military attack since the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968.

The Refugees International statement further notes that U.S. And Israeli strikes have impacted other schools, multiple medical facilities, numerous residential areas, and a water desalination plant in Iran. Iranian retaliatory strikes have also struck civilian targets in Israel and Gulf countries, including desalination plants and urban residential zones.

Just Security’s collection on the Iran-Israel-U.S. Conflict, published April 24, 2026, confirms that the initial strikes on February 28, 2026, were followed by an escalation involving broader regional actors. The collection documents how the conflict has evolved from targeted strikes on nuclear and military sites into a wider war affecting civilian populations across multiple countries.

The Lancet correspondence concludes that the ongoing destruction constitutes a systematic assault on the right to health, with long-term implications for disease outbreaks, maternal and child health, and management of chronic conditions. It calls for immediate investigation into potential war crimes and accountability for attacks on protected civilian objects under international law.

As of April 25, 2026, the conflict remains active, with temporary ceasefires reported between Iran and the United States since April 8, and between Hezbollah and Israel since April 16. However, the health consequences for civilians in Iran and the broader region continue to accumulate, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian access and protection of medical infrastructure in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.