Iranian authorities reported that a missile attack struck areas near Boghayi Hospital 2 in Ahvaz, a facility dedicated to treating cancer patients.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, only hours after the US Central Command announced a second wave of strikes against Iranian military capabilities linked to threats against maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz.

Hossein Kermanpour, Head of the Public Relations and Information Center at Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, confirmed the attack near the hospital. He stated that the intense sound and tremors caused panic among patients and their companions, leading many to flee the building. Only the most critically ill patients remained inside the hospital following the incident.

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB also reported that an industrial facility in Qeshm, located in Hormozgan Governorate, sustained damage. According to the Hormozgan Governor, the Souza fish powder factory was hit, but due to the site being empty at the time, no injuries were reported. The damage was described as limited.

The missile strike came in the immediate aftermath of CENTCOM’s announcement that US forces had launched a second wave of precision strikes against Iranian military targets. The US military stated that the operation was intended to degrade Iranian capabilities allegedly used to threaten vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global maritime corridor.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, Brigadier General Hossein Mohammadi, responded defiantly. He declared that Tehran would continue its military response and emphasised that current operations were focused on dismantling US military infrastructure in the region. Mohammadi warned that the conflict would not be allowed to turn into a war of attrition, signalling that Iran’s next steps would escalate further.

The attack near a civilian medical facility highlights the growing risks to non-combatants as the confrontation intensifies. Hospitals and industrial sites being affected underscores the widening scope of the conflict beyond strictly military targets. The situation reflects the dangerous trajectory of escalation between Washington and Tehran, with both sides signalling determination to impose heavy costs on the other.

The developments in Ahvaz and Qeshm illustrate the volatile nature of the confrontation, where military operations are increasingly spilling into civilian areas. The targeting of infrastructure, combined with the psychological impact on vulnerable patients, adds a humanitarian dimension to the crisis that could further inflame regional tensions.

ANI