BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 4. More than 30 universities in Iran have been hit by U.S. and Israeli military airstrikes since February 28, Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simai Sarraf told reporters today, Trend reports.
According to him, Iran's non-military, educational, and research-related facilities are being attacked. Millions of schoolchildren and students in Iran are currently deprived of education.
The minister noted that so far, more than 60 students have died as a result of military airstrikes.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, striking major cities, including Tehran. The White House cited missile and nuclear threats originating from the Islamic Republic as justification for the attacks. The strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several other senior officials. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel and has targeted U.S. facilities across Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
The conflict has placed the region’s energy infrastructure and maritime shipping under serious threat. Due to security tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have risen significantly. Iran fully controls the Strait of Hormuz and allows passage only to vessels it deems necessary.