Iran Calls for Protection of Universities Amid Claims of Attacks on Academic Institutions

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei Saraf has urged the international community to take a stronger stance against attacks on academic institutions, saying universities and research centers must not be targeted in conflict.

Speaking at the 10th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Education Ministers in Minsk, Belarus, Simaei called on global scientific bodies and international organizations to strengthen protections for universities, researchers, and scientists.

He said that academic institutions in Iran had been affected by military strikes and that scientists and professors had been killed in incidents over the past year, attributing responsibility to U.S. and Israeli actions. These claims could not be independently verified.

Simaei said Iran had lost academics who dedicated their lives to education and scientific progress, and emphasized that such individuals should be protected under international norms governing wartime conduct.