Tear gas used near hospital in Iran protests: media

• Hospital Exposure: Tear gas inadvertently entered Tehran’s Sina Hospital on Tuesday after security forces deployed it to disperse crowds in a neighboring alley, marking a dangerous escalation during the tenth day of unrest.
• Protest Expansion: The demonstrations have shifted from sporadic evening gatherings to daytime confrontations in the city's commercial core, evolving from a bazaar shopkeeper strike over economic conditions into a broader political movement across Iran.

A hospital in central Tehran was accidentally affected by tear gas on Tuesday during violent clashes between protesters and security forces, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

The incident occurred at Sina Hospital, located approximately two kilometers from the Grand Bazaar, a focal point of Tuesday’s demonstrations.

Local medical authorities clarified that the gas was deployed to disperse crowds in an adjacent alleyway before drifting into the medical facility.

Accidental Exposure

Following the circulation of videos on social media showing smoke inside the hospital, the Tehran University of Medical Sciences issued a statement detailing the event.

"In an attempt to disperse the crowds, tear gas was used in the alley adjacent to Sina Hospital," the statement read.

"The natural reaction of the protesters was to push the [gas canisters] away, and as a result, some of the material reached the hospital unintentionally."

Shift to Daytime Confrontations

The clashes on Tuesday represent a turning point in the capital. While Tehran has seen sporadic evening gatherings since the protests began on Dec. 28, local media reports indicate this is the first time daytime confrontations have erupted in the city’s historic and commercial core.

The unrest began with a strike by shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar over deteriorating economic conditions and the high cost of living.

However, the movement has since expanded geographically—particularly into western Iran—and evolved to include explicit political demands.

Context of the Unrest

The current wave of demonstrations is the largest to challenge the Iranian government since the monthslong protests of September 2022.

Those earlier movements were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in the custody of the "morality police" after being detained for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.