Iran has said more than 1,200 people have been killed since United States and Israeli strikes began across the country, with officials insisting that most of the victims are civilians caught in bombardments that have hit cities, health facilities and oil infrastructure.
Ali Jafarian, Iran deputy health minister, said the attacks have left at least 1,255 people dead and more than 12,000 wounded since the military campaign began on February 28.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Monday, Jafarian said the victims included 200 children and 11 healthcare workers, with ages ranging from eight months to 88 years.
Many, he said, were killed while carrying out ordinary daily activities.
“They were living in their homes or were at their workplace,” he said, arguing that civilians make up the majority of those killed in the strikes.
Read also: From shadow figure to supreme leader: Mojtaba Khamenei takes Iran’s helm
The Iranian health official also reported significant damage to the country’s medical infrastructure. According to him, 29 clinical facilities have been hit in the attacks, forcing at least 10 to shut down. Fifty two health centres, 18 emergency service locations and 15 ambulances have also been damaged or destroyed.
The latest wave of concern has followed Israeli air attacks that struck oil facilities in Tehran late on Saturday for the first time since the conflict began.
The strikes triggered large fires at several key fuel storage sites, including the Aghdasieh oil warehouse in the northeast of the capital, the Tehran refinery in the south and the Shahran oil depot in the west.
Read also: Iran ready to support Nigeria’s anti-terrorism fight, says envoy
Israel said it targeted “a number of fuel storage facilities in Tehran” that were used to operate military infrastructure.
But Jafarian warned that the bombardment of energy infrastructure could have wider public health consequences for residents of the capital.
He told Al Jazeera that thick smoke from the burning fuel depots darkened the sky over Tehran for hours.
“The whole city was dark until the afternoon yesterday,” he said.
The smoke, he warned, could trigger respiratory problems among vulnerable groups including children and elderly residents. Authorities have advised people in affected areas to remain indoors and keep their windows closed.
Jafarian also raised concerns about possible long term environmental damage, saying pollutants released by the fires could lead to acid rain and contaminate soil.
“This is not a military issue. This is not a military target,” he said, disputing the Israeli description of the facilities as part of military infrastructure.
According to the Iranian health ministry, more than 200 cities across the country have been struck since the attacks began.
Explosions were again reported on Monday in Tehran and the religious city of Qom as United States and Israeli forces continued their bombardment, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera.
The escalating strikes have deepened fears of a wider regional conflict as casualties mount and critical infrastructure across Iran comes under sustained attack.
