Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Warns of Retaliation Against US University Campuses in Middle East

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a stark warning threatening potential retaliation against American university campuses across the Middle East following recent strikes it claims targeted Iranian academic institutions.

In a statement released Sunday and carried by Iranian media, the IRGC alleged that joint US-Israeli attacks had destroyed two Iranian universities. The force warned that if Washington fails to officially condemn the strikes, American educational institutions in the region could become targets.

“If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation, it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,” the statement said.

The Guard also urged precautionary measures, advising “employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region, as well as nearby residents,” to maintain a distance of at least one kilometer from campus grounds.

Several prominent US universities operate branch campuses in the Gulf, including Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in Abu Dhabi, raising concerns about the safety of students and staff.

According to media reports, overnight strikes from Friday to Saturday hit parts of Tehran, including the Iran University of Science and Technology in the northeastern part of the capital. Buildings were reportedly damaged, though no casualties were confirmed.

The warning adds to rising tensions in the region, as fears grow over the potential expansion of conflict beyond military targets to civilian and educational institutions.