US-Israeli strikes have been on a noticeable uptick against Iranian institutions of higher learning over the last days. This has included a large-scale aerial assault on Tehran’s Sharif University, which is often dubbed the "MIT of Iran".
After this attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened Iranian retaliation, warning "aggressors will see our might." He said several other universities have also been struck over the last days:
These recent attacks have had a high rate of casualties, at a moment the Trump administration is vowing to go harder, imposing a Tuesday midnight deadline for Tehran to agree to ceasefire - or else it will face an unprecedented bombing campaign against bridges and power plants.
Al Jazeera writes, "At least 34 people have been killed, including six children, as the United States and Israel carried out massive attacks across Iran, targeting a top university as well as residential areas, after US President Donald Trump set a Tuesday deadline for Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants and bridges."
The report continues, "The Fars news agency reported on Monday that an air attack killed 23 people, including four girls and two boys aged below 10 years, in Tehran province’s Baharestan County."
Neither the US nor Israel divulged the reasons behind attacking university campuses. Many of the students at these very campuses were involved in the January protests. The US claims to be "helping" the protesters through the Trump-ordered massive bombing campaign.
One regional report says that at least 30 Iranian colleges and universities have suffered damage amid the ongoing attacks.
Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran was attacked last Friday. It issued a statement saying: "This hostile act not only targets the security of academics and the country’s scientific environment, but is also a clear attack on reason, research, and freedom of thought."
Trump has threatened to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Age" - and that is precisely what appears to be in progress. An advanced Iranian civilization, with scientific know-how, is seen as a threat in Israel, which believes Tehran has long sought to achieve nuclear weapons status.
Airports have also been frequently targeted, with Israeli officials saying at the start of this week that dozens of aircraft and helicopters have been taken out - including "Bahram Airport, Mehrabad Airport and Azmayesh Airport" - according to regional media.
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