Revolutionary Guard threatens to target Israeli and American universities in the region

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard issued a strongly worded statement threatening to launch attacks targeting Israeli and American universities spread across Middle Eastern countries. This escalation came after reports confirmed that Iranian academic facilities were subjected to airstrikes described by Tehran as aggressive, indicating that the conflict has moved to a stage of targeting educational and scientific institutions.

Media sources reported that Iran University of Science and Technology in the capital Tehran was bombed on Saturday morning, causing widespread destruction to its facilities. The official statement accused American and Israeli forces of being behind this attack, considering that the repeated targeting of Iranian universities gives Tehran the full right to retaliate in kind against the academic interests of both parties in the region.

The Revolutionary Guard set a condition to avoid retaliatory operations, demanding that the American administration issue an official statement condemning the bombing of Iranian universities before noon on Monday, March 30. The statement affirmed that failure to respond to this demand would make all universities belonging to the occupation and the United States in the West Asia region legitimate military targets for Iranian forces.

In the context of field warnings, the Iranian military command issued an urgent advisory to teaching staff, students, and employees working in American universities in the region. The statement emphasized the necessity of staying at least one kilometer away from these headquarters, to ensure their safety in the event of the expected missile or air strikes being carried out.

Field data indicates that the targeted University of Science and Technology is one of the most prominent research centers in Iran, where its activities focus on advanced nuclear technology research. Observers believe that its targeting falls within attempts to undermine Iranian scientific and technical capabilities, which Washington and Tel Aviv accuse of being linked to the military program.

The escalation was not limited to facilities but also included human resources, as sources recalled the assassination of academic Saeed Shamghadri, a faculty member in the Electrical Engineering Department at the same university. Shamghadri was killed on March 23rd after an attack targeted his home, exacerbating the state of security and academic tension in the country.

The region has been witnessing an open military confrontation since late February, with Israel and the United States launching a series of intensive raids on Iranian territory. These operations have resulted in significant human losses, including high-ranking security officials, amid reports of a deteriorating leadership situation in Tehran as a result of these successive strikes.

For its part, Tehran continues to respond by launching barrages of ballistic missiles and suicide drones towards targets inside Israel. Iran has also expanded its targeting to include what it describes as vital American interests in several Arab countries, leading to civilian casualties and severe material damage that has sparked widespread international and regional condemnation.

In light of this explosive scene, the international community awaits the expiration of the deadline set by the Revolutionary Guard, amid fears of the war expanding to include unprecedented civilian and academic targets. These threats further complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation, at a time when the option of direct confrontation appears to be dominant on the ground among all parties.

All universities of the occupation regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us in response to the targeting of our scientific institutions.