Iran: US and Israel's Attacks on Research Institutions Aim to Weaken Iran's Development Foundation

Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, March 28 - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei stated on social media on the 28th that in the past 30 days, the United States and Israel have deliberately targeted institutions, including universities and research centers, in their military operations against Iran, aiming to weaken Iran's scientific foundation and cultural heritage.

Baghaei noted that Isfahan University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology are just two of the many universities and research centers that have been targeted. These attacks indicate that the true purpose of the U.S.-Israeli actions is to systematically undermine Iran's development foundation by striking universities, research institutions, historical sites, and renowned scientists.

Baghaei also stated that the previous claims by the U.S. and Israel of "containing Iran's nuclear program" and addressing "imminent threats" are merely excuses, fabricated to cover up their true intentions.

On the same day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran issued a statement warning that, in response, they would designate universities within Israel and American universities in the West Asia region as "legitimate targets."

According to the Iranian Tasnim News Agency, the statement called on faculty, staff, students, and nearby residents of the relevant institutions to stay away from campus areas, and demanded that the U.S. government issue an official statement by noon on the 30th Tehran time condemning the attacks on Iranian universities; otherwise, the related strikes would be carried out.