Iran Says US, Israel Targeting Universities, Warns of Retaliation

Tehran (IANS): Iran accused the United States and Israel on Sunday of deliberately targeting its academic institutions. Officials allege that strikes on Isfahan University of Technology and Tehran University of Science and Technology form part of a broader campaign to weaken Iran’s scientific and cultural foundations.

“Vicious Pretexts”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei rejected claims that the attacks relate to nuclear concerns. In a post on X, Baqaei described these claims as “vicious pretexts” designed to conceal a systematic campaign against Iran’s intellectual infrastructure.

“The American-Israeli aggression… reveals its true objective: to cripple our country’s scientific foundation and cultural heritage,” Baqaei stated. He noted that aggressors have attacked numerous research centers and historical monuments during 30 days of “illegal war.”

IRGC Threatens Retaliatory Strikes

Following these allegations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a stern warning via state-run media. The IRGC now considers universities in West Asia affiliated with the U.S. and Israel as “legitimate targets” for retaliation.

“The reckless rulers of the White House should know that all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asian region are our legitimate targets,” the IRGC statement read. The group warned staff, faculty, and students to stay at least one kilometer away from such campuses to protect their lives.