Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it may retaliate against American university campuses in the Middle East, claiming that recent U.S. and Israeli strikes have damaged two Iranian universities.
The group said U.S.-affiliated campuses in the region could become “legitimate targets” unless Washington formally condemns the attacks on Iranian schools by noon on Monday, according to a statement first reported by Fars news agency, which is closely associated with the Guard, and picked up by other media.
The statement urged staff, faculty, students and nearby residents to keep at least one kilometer away from these campuses.
Several American universities have branches in the Persian Gulf, including Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in the United Arab Emirates.
Tehran was hit by strikes in the night between Friday and Saturday, including the university of science and technology in the northeast of the capital, damaging buildings but not causing any casualties, according to media reports.