Tehran on Thursday (July 16, 2026) accused the United States of carrying out a “barbaric attack” after a cancer hospital in Iran’s southwest was forced to evacuate due to nearby strikes.

“This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the hospitalised children,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X, saying “211 patients undergoing chemotherapy” were evacuated.

At the heart of the fighting is the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway crucial to global oil and gas flows.

Iran blockaded Hormuz after the war erupted on February 28, using the waterway for leverage against its foes for months.

The strait was briefly reopened after the US-Iran deal last month, before Tehran vowed last week it would be closed again “until the US ends its aggression”.

The United States has also reimposed a blockade of Iran’s ports.