Iran's medicine shortages deepen as war damage and trade barriers squeeze supplies

Essential drugs become harder to obtain

Iran's medicine crisis is worsening as conflict damage, trade restrictions and inflation converge on a pharmaceutical system that was already dependent on imported ingredients and specialised equipment. Al Jazeera reported from Tehran on September 9 that about 800 pharmaceutical products were in short supply nationwide, citing the Iranian Pharmacists Association. Ninety were classified as essential or life-saving, while roughly half of the affected products were manufactured domestically.

The shortages reach beyond imported brands. Patients with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and other chronic conditions face higher costs or substitutions as pharmacies struggle to replenish stocks. Al Jazeera found that some Iranians had shifted to domestic alternatives because foreign medicines had become unaffordable or unavailable. Doctors also raised concern about disrupted vaccine imports, although the scale of any resulting public-health effect remains uncertain.

War damage compounds older supply problems

The immediate squeeze sits on top of extensive damage to Iran's health infrastructure. In a dated May assessment, the United Nations country team said aerial bombardment since February had damaged an estimated 229 healthcare centres, 49 hospitals and 78 pharmaceutical facilities, laboratories and warehouses. It also reported damage to emergency bases, ambulances and support vehicles, describing severe disruption to domestic medical supply chains and critical-care delivery.

Iran produces many finished medicines and active ingredients, but the sector still relies on foreign machinery, specialised inputs and rare drugs. Financial sanctions and risk-averse banks, insurers and freight companies complicate transactions even where humanitarian exemptions exist. The continuing disruption of maritime and other transport routes adds cost and uncertainty. Domestic factors, including inflation, reduced access to subsidised foreign currency and unpaid obligations to pharmacies, further weaken purchasing power and inventory management.

Official assurances face a practical test

Iranian health authorities dispute portrayals of imminent collapse and say current shortages are less severe than last year's. Al Jazeera noted, however, that the official making that comparison supplied no supporting figures. Pharmaceutical businesses are attempting to preserve production through temporary facilities and alternative lines, but destroyed equipment, research records and specialised capacity cannot be replaced quickly. That leaves patients exposed even if headline production volumes remain stable.

The key questions are whether humanitarian payment and shipping channels remain usable, whether damaged factories can restore specialised output, and whether authorities can stabilise pharmacy finances. The UN's earlier emergency intervention sought to protect essential services and restore laboratory and disease-surveillance capacity. Fresh shortages show that maintaining physical healthcare facilities is only part of the challenge: medicines, vaccines, inputs and affordable distribution must continue moving through the entire system.