Image Credentials: Image Title: The One Simple Step That Finally Secured My Online Accounts Source: (sora.openai) Date: March 2025. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
TEHRAN, Iran — In a significant and alarming expansion of its military rhetoric, the Iranian government has declared that academic institutions in the United States and Israel are now considered “legitimate targets” for its armed forces.
The statement, issued Sunday by high-ranking officials within the Iranian military and endorsed by state-run media, suggests a shift in targeting strategy from purely military and industrial infrastructure to civilian centers of research and education. Tehran claims these institutions are “hubs for the development of destructive technologies” used by the U.S. and Israel in their ongoing regional operations.
Following the attack on the Tehran University of Science and Technology, Iran issued a warning: "From now on, all American and Israeli universities in West Asia are considered legitimate targets until there are retaliatory attacks on the two universities. pic.twitter.com/g4E5L0znkk
— Argonaut (@FapeFop90614) March 29, 2026
“The universities of the Great Satan and the Zionist entity are not merely centers of learning; they are the intellectual laboratories of the war machine,” a spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated during a televised address. “As such, they are no longer immune from our reach and are considered valid targets in our defensive doctrine.”
The declaration follows a series of high-intensity strikes across the Middle East, including the recent destruction of a U.S. AWACS aircraft in Saudi Arabia and ongoing American operations intended to “neuter” the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.
International academic organizations and human rights groups have condemned the statement, noting that targeting educational institutions constitutes a clear violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions. Washington has responded with a stern warning, with the State Department calling the threat “the desperate language of a cornered regime.”
“To threaten students and educators at universities across the globe is a new low, even for Tehran,” a U.S. National Security Council official said. “Any attack on American soil or its institutions will be met with an overwhelming and decisive response.”
Security at major research universities across the United States has been heightened following the announcement. While intelligence officials suggest the threat may be primarily psychological—intended to sow fear and domestic pressure within the U.S., the possibility of cyberattacks or asymmetric operations targeting campus infrastructure is being taken seriously by federal authorities.
The escalation comes as the region remains on the brink of total war, with both sides intensifying their language and military posture. As the “No Kings” protests continue to draw crowds in Western capitals, the threat to domestic civilian institutions adds a new, chilling layer to a conflict that shows no signs of de-escalation.