WANA (Jun 17) – Wars are usually measured by destruction statistics and the decline of vital indicators. According to a global pattern, when a country enters a state of war, the heavy shadow of tension and insecurity drastically reduces blood donation rates, confronting the healthcare system with a compounding crisis of blood resource shortages. However, Iran, embroiled in the recent crisis, left behind a completely reversed and unique narrative.

 

During the days when healthcare staff were grappling with a wave of casualties and injuries, a silent solidarity formed in blood transfusion centers; a data-driven epic that, going beyond an emotional response, recorded unprecedented records in the region’s healthcare history.

 

The Staggering Surge in Vital Reserves

Before the start of this conflict, Iran’s average blood reserves stood at about five days—a standard figure for normal conditions. However, with the onset of the crisis and the pressing need for the blood supply network, the national network was met with widespread public response.

 

According to Ahmad Gharehbaghian, CEO of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, the round-the-clock efforts of the staff and the empathy of the people caused the country’s blood reserves to increase from five days to more than 12 days.

A medical worker holds a bag with donated blood, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Recording this indicator, particularly during certain periods of this year [April/May 2026], documented crossing the 12-day threshold, which occurred for the first time in the history of the Blood Transfusion Organization. This surge brought Iran up to the standards of developed countries (whose indicator ranges between 8 and 12 days) and proved the country’s full preparedness in crisis conditions.

 

The New Pioneers: The Rise of Women and Youth

This unprecedented success drew its fuel from a shift in the demographic structure of donors. During the Sacred Defense (the Iran-Iraq War), women constituted about 30% of donors—a statistic that had decreased in subsequent years. However, February/March 2026 was another turning point; the turnout of women for blood donation increased by 79% compared to the same period in the previous year.

 

Alongside women, the new generation also joined this vital artery. The turnout of youth under 25 for blood donation during the recent war increased by about 65%.

 

According to the country’s laws, any individual with a minimum age of 18 and a minimum weight of 50 kg (and a maximum age of 65 for the first blood donation) can donate blood—a decision that has now been turned into a culture by the younger generation to guarantee the reserve of regular donors for the coming years.

A medical worker holds a bag with donated blood, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

An International and Regional Honor

The narrative of blood donation in Iran, far from being just a crisis response, is rooted in an authentic structure. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the first country in the region to achieve the index of 100% voluntary and non-remunerated blood donation—an achievement that was officially announced in 2006.

 

Across the vast continent of Asia, only a limited number of countries, such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, hold this position, as other countries still depend on family or replacement donors. This indigenization of self-sacrifice has resulted in regular donors constituting about 65% of the country’s blood donors today.

 

Relying on this network—which includes 210 blood collection centers, 92 component production centers, and 33 screening centers—approximately 2.4 million units of blood are collected annually in the country.

 

From this amount, more than 6 million units of blood components (including red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate) are produced and provided to medical centers. This volume of structured production means that Iran has no need for blood imports and has achieved absolute self-sufficiency.

Bags of donated blood, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 7, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Beyond Borders: Stringent European Standards

The quality of these components is so high that it has turned Iran into a scientific exception. Iran is the only country in the region (the Eastern Mediterranean Region or EMRO, with 29 members) whose plasma has received authorization to enter the European Union.

 

The approval of plasma as a biologic medicine by the European Union requires passing exceptionally stringent filters and standards, which Iran’s healthcare system has successfully maintained and upgraded even during the height of difficult years and wartime conditions.

 

Ultimately, wars usually bring about destruction, but in the veins of Iranian society, the crisis became an opportunity for the manifestation of humanity. The brilliant statistics of Iran’s blood transfusion showed that when it comes to saving human lives, the people of this land offer their blood not on the battlefield, but in donation centers, dedicating it to the survival of their fellow human beings.