Iran urges global action against US-Israeli attacks on universities

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei Saraf has called on the international community to take a decisive stance against US-Israeli strikes on Iranian universities, warning that academic institutions and research centers must never become targets of war.

Speaking at the 10th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Education Ministers in Minsk, Belarus, Simaei urged the global scientific community and international organizations to take a clearer and more responsible position in safeguarding the security of universities, scientists, and research centers.

Simaei drew attention to the reality of military attacks on the Islamic Republic, destruction of Iranian universities, and the assassination of scientists over the past year in the US and Israeli strikes.

The minister said Iran has lost professors and researchers who had dedicated their lives to education and the advancement of knowledge.

Addressing participants, Simaei asked: “Will the international community allow the most authentic centers of civilization to fall victim to violence?”

He said the US-Israeli attacks on Iranian universities are not only directed at Iran but also at the global scientific community as a whole.

“The security of universities is inseparable from the future of humanity,” he said, warning that silence in the face of such actions would encourage the continuation of violence against science and civilization.

Over 180 Iranian students, professors martyred in US-Israeli war of terror

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research, and Technology Hossein Simaei has confirmed that over 60 university students and 10 professors have been martyred in the recent US-Israeli aggression.

Simaei stressed that universities should remain safe havens for thought, dialogue, and hope, rather than becoming victims of war. He also emphasized that scientific and cultural institutions must be regarded as a red line in any war.

“When a university is targeted, in fact, one of the most authentic centers of culture and civilization is attacked, and the harm is directed at the entire scientific community of the world,” he stated.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly condemned attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime on universities, medical complexes, and research centers, describing them as blatant violations of international law and crimes against humanity.

According to Iranian officials, more than 30 universities across the country were directly targeted in the US-Israeli attacks.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Simaei highlighted the civilizational and academic capacities of SCO member states and called for deeper scientific cooperation among them.

Referring to shared challenges such as climate change, water and energy crises, food security, and developments in artificial intelligence (AI), he said greater scientific collaboration is essential for the future of humanity.

The minister also highlighted the strengths of SCO member states in AI, basic sciences, advanced materials, and public health, stressing the need to transform these capabilities into a broad network of cooperation.

The 10th SCO Education Ministers’ Meeting, attended by more than 30 representatives from member states, was aimed at enhancing multilateral scientific and technological cooperation across the organization.

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