Full Breakdown
Iran’s Medicine Shortages Deepen Amid U.S. Sanctions and War Damage
9/9/2026, 10:55:26 AM
Core Event
Since the U.S.–Israel war on Iran began in February, the pharmaceutical sector has faced acute shortages. Iranian officials report about 800 products are in short supply nationwide, including 90 classified as life-saving. Prices have surged dramatically, with gabapentin up 220 %, acetaminophen up 375 %, amoxicillin up 285 %, fluoxetine up 100 % and insulin now costing up to six times its previous price.
Background & Context
Iran pursues self-sufficiency in drug production but remains dependent on imported active ingredients, equipment and specialty medicines. U.S. “maximum pressure” sanctions and a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have crippled the financial and logistics networks needed for medical imports. Israeli air strikes destroyed 44 pharmaceutical and medical-equipment firms and injured roughly 50 workers. One of the most affected companies, Tofigh Daru—owned by Iran’s largest pension fund—lost research and production lines, databases and specialised equipment.
Data & Statistics
- Shortage count: ~800 products (Hadi Ahmadi, Iranian Pharmacists Association).
- Essential medicines short: 90 items.
- Domestic production: 400 of the shorted drugs are manufactured inside Iran.
- Price increases (year-over-year): gabapentin +220 %; acetaminophen +375 %; amoxicillin +285 %; fluoxetine +100 %; insulin ×6.
- Inflation: essential food prices up >123 % year-on-year as of August; cooking oil prices have more than tripled.
On-the-Ground Reports
Farah, a Tehran resident, switched from a Swiss-made autoimmune drug to an Iranian generic because of cost and availability and now fears the domestic version will also run out. A gastroenterologist and university professor in Tehran, speaking anonymously, described the price hikes as “staggering” and warned that the removal of subsidised foreign-currency for medical imports and unpaid insurer debts—estimated at about 8 quadrillion rials (? $3.56 bn)—create an “insurmountable barrier” for vulnerable patients. She highlighted halted rotavirus-vaccine imports and the risk to influenza-vaccine supplies.
Official Statements & Responses
Mahdi Pirsalehi, head of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration, asserted the nation is facing fewer drug shortages than the previous year, though he offered no figures. Hadi Ahmadi, spokesman for the Iranian Pharmacists Association, emphasized the scale of the shortage and the reliance on domestic manufacturing for 400 of the affected drugs. Maryam Farahani, director of sales at Tofigh Daru, said the company has rented an alternate production line to keep output above zero and is working to preserve lost institutional knowledge. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled the U.S. blockade “illegal” and a “war crime” under the United Nations Charter.
Criticism & Opposition
Health professionals warn that soaring drug prices and supply gaps jeopardise treatment for chronic diseases, cancer and vaccine-preventable illnesses. The unnamed gastroenterologist cautioned that inflation, poverty and food insecurity among infants, children and pregnant women could trigger a cycle of malnutrition that heightens disease risks.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
While the FDA head claims a reduction in shortages compared with the previous year, the pharmacists’ association cites 800 products currently unavailable, and no independent verification of the FDA’s assessment is provided. Precise data on the volume of medicines still being produced domestically versus those imported remain unclear.
