Iran says 1,255 people killed in US-Israeli attacks, mostly civilians

Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian tells Al Jazeera air attacks damage dozens of healthcare facilities.

Iranian Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian says United States-Israeli attacks across his country have killed and wounded mostly civilians and the bombardment on oil facilities have caused toxic smoke to spread across the capital, Tehran.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Monday, Jafarian said at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran, including 200 children and 11 healthcare workers. Their ages ranged from eight months to 88.

Insisting that most of the victims were civilians, Jafarian said: “They were living in their homes or [were] at their workplace.”

More than 12,000 people have also been wounded, mostly from burns and crush injuries, he added. Twenty-nine clinical facilities so far have been damaged and 10 of them were forced to shut down, Jafarian continued. Additionally, 52 health centres, 18 emergency services locations and 15 ambulances also have been damaged or destroyed.

Jafarian warned of health risks for the population after Israeli air attacks hit Iran’s oil facilities late on Saturday for the first time since the war started, killing at least four people.