More than 30 Iranian universities have faced “direct attacks,” Minister says

Iran’s science minister announced that over 30 universities in Iran have experienced “direct attacks” during the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel, as reported by the state-aligned Iran Students’ News Agency. Hossein Simaei Sarraf, who serves as the minister of science, research, and technology, stated that “non-military sites and vital infrastructure for education and research have been affected.” He added, “Today, millions of schoolchildren and university students have lost access to education and research.” The Iranian Red Crescent and local media reported damage to buildings at Shahid Beheshti University, a well-known institution in Tehran, due to a strike carried out by US-Israeli forces yesterday. Iran asserts that these attacks aim to undermine the country’s scientific and cultural foundations. In contrast, Israel claims that these actions are part of a larger strategy to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program. The United States insists that its military does not intentionally target civilians. In response to these attacks, Tehran has warned that it may target universities linked to American and Israeli interests throughout the region.