TEHRAN–Iran attracted more than 125,000 international patients who received medical services during the first quarter of the current Persian calendar year (started March 21).

“A total of 125,231 health tourists arrived in Iran during the first three months of the year,” IRNA reported on Tuesday.

“The majority of those travelers came from Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Persian Gulf littoral states,” the report said.

Earlier this month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Republic is a regional hub for medical tourism. “Our scientific and medical ranking is acknowledged by international officials,” he added, saying Iran can rightly claim that it is a hub of health services.

Iran has a perfect position in the region and the world in terms of medical sciences as many Iranian cities are considered “health hubs,” Raisi said, addressing a Tehran conference to pay tribute to the Iranian medical society.

According to available data, Iran hosts an average of one million medical tourists each year. “About one million medical tourists, mainly from the neighboring countries, arrive in Iran annually,” Mohammadreza Tarjoman who presides over the Health Ministry’s tourism office, said in April.

“The majority of inbound medical passengers come from the neighboring countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan,” the official said. Talking about hospitals and clinics, he said a selection of 200 Iranian medical centers have permission to accept foreign patients.

Experts believe medical tourism in Iran is a win-win opportunity both for the country and foreign patients, as they are offered affordable yet quality treatment services and the country gains considerable foreign currency. Amongst Iran’s trump cards are the presence of credible surgeons and physicians, cutting-edge medical technologies, high-tech medicine and diverse specializations, super affordable procedures, and finally its hospitable people.

Iran seeks to exceed its yearly medical travelers to around two million in [calendar year] 1404 (March 2025-March 2026).

AM