The IRGC condemned recent attacks on Iranian universities, including what it described as the bombardment of the University of Science and Technology in Tehran.
Key Points
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that US and Israeli universities in West Asia may be targeted in retaliation.
- Iran alleges recent strikes on its universities, including Tehran's University of Science and Technology.
- The IRGC has issued a safety advisory urging people to stay at least 1 km away from such campuses.
- A deadline has been set for the US to condemn the alleged attacks or face potential retaliation.
- Iran claims the strikes aim to weaken its scientific and cultural infrastructure, dismissing nuclear-related justifications as a pretext.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday issued a stark warning that American and Israeli universities in West Asia could be treated as 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for alleged United States and Israeli strikes on Iranian academic institutions and cultural infrastructure.
In a statement broadcast by state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Telegram, the IRGC condemned recent attacks on Iranian universities, including what it described as the bombardment of the University of Science and Technology in Tehran.
It accused US-Israeli forces of deliberately targeting educational infrastructure.
'The American-Zionist aggressor forces have targeted Iranian universities for the umpteenth time,' the statement said, as quoted by IRIB.
IRGC warns university staff, students
The IRGC warned that all universities affiliated with the United States and Israel in West Asia would be considered legitimate targets unless specific conditions are met.
It also urged faculty, staff, students, and nearby residents to maintain a distance of at least one kilometre from such campuses for safety.
Additionally, the IRGC demanded that the US government officially condemn the alleged attacks on Iranian universities by noon on Monday, March 30 (Tehran time), failing which retaliatory action could follow.
US, Israel deliberately targeting academic infrastructure: Iran
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused the United States and Israel of 'deliberately' targeting Iran's academic and scientific infrastructure amid the ongoing conflict.
In a post on X, Baqaei said the strikes reveal a broader objective to undermine Iran's intellectual and cultural foundations. He cited institutions such as Isfahan University of Technology and the University of Science and Technology in Tehran as among those hit in the past 30 days.
He rejected US and Israeli claims of countering Iran's nuclear programme as 'vicious pretexts', alleging they are being used to justify a wider campaign against Iran's scientific and cultural institutions.
© 2026