Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that Israeli and American universities in West Asia would be treated as “legitimate targets” following strikes on major Iranian academic institutions. The IRGC condemned what it called “American‑Zionist aggressor forces” for allegedly bombing Tehran’s University of Science and Technology and said universities linked to Israel and the US in the region would remain under threat until “at least two” such institutions were struck in retaliation.
The IRGC also advised faculty, students and nearby residents to keep at least one kilometre away from those campuses for safety, Iranian state media reported. It set a condition for avoiding retaliation, demanding that the US government issue, by 12 noon Tehran time on March 30, an official statement condemning the attacks on Iranian universities.
The warning follows a strike on the Tehran institution on Saturday that reportedly damaged parts of its scientific and research infrastructure. Earlier, Isfahan University of Technology was hit, with at least one building damaged.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of targeting key infrastructure, including steel plants, a power facility and civilian nuclear sites, saying the attacks undermined diplomatic efforts and would incur a “heavy price.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described the strikes on Isfahan and Tehran universities as part of a broader pattern over the past 30 days, alleging that universities, research centres, historical sites and prominent scientists have been deliberately targeted in what he called an “illegal war” using concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme as a pretext.
