Video footage shows a research centre at the Iran University of Science and Technology in ruins, with twisted metal, bricks and other debris littering the site. A US-Israeli airstrike on 28 March severely damaged the campus, drawing warnings from Iranian authorities about retaliation that could extend far beyond Iran's borders.
The destruction represents a concerning acceleration in military targeting of educational institutions. The university said strikes had damaged buildings but there were no casualties. However, the incident cannot be viewed in isolation. Isfahan University of Technology was targeted for the second time during the war, with the attack on one research institute causing damage to several other buildings and minor injuries to four university staff members.
The pattern is stark. Iranian officials allege strikes on universities and research centres are part of a broader effort to cripple Iran's scientific foundation and cultural heritage, with both Isfahan University of Technology and the University of Science and Technology in Tehran among many universities and research centres deliberately attacked. Israeli sources have cited allegations that Iran used the University of Science and Technology campus for nuclear weapons research.
The university, located east of Tehran, was founded in 1929 as Iran's first institution dedicated to training engineers. University officials have condemned the attacks, saying strikes on academic institutions violate international law.
The strike has triggered direct threats from Iran's military leadership. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it will target American and Israeli-affiliated universities in the region in retaliation, declaring the institutions are now considered "legitimate targets until two universities are struck." The IRGC warned students, staff and nearby residents to stay at least one kilometre away from American university campuses in the region and demanded that the US government condemn the reported strikes on Iranian universities via an official statement by 30 March, threatening to expand attacks if conditions aren't met.
Several US universities have campuses scattered throughout the Gulf region, such as Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in the United Arab Emirates. The threats have created genuine security concerns for these institutions and their student populations.
Educational facilities have historically received special protection under international humanitarian law. Yet this conflict has seen escalating strikes on schools and universities from the outset. According to Iran's Ministry of Education, at least 66 schools across Iran have been damaged or destroyed. The targeting of civilian academic infrastructure raises fundamental questions about the conduct of modern conflict and the protection of institutions essential to society's future.
The use of universities as military targets, whether for weapons research or military staging, sits in uncomfortable tension with their status as institutions dedicated to education and scientific advancement. For students, teachers, and researchers across the region, the conflict has transformed campuses from places of learning into zones of military contention. As long as these escalating threats persist, the future of higher education in the region remains deeply uncertain.