Strikes on Iranian Universities Raise Alarms Over Violations of International Law
- Human Rights Research Center
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
April 1, 2026
HRRC strongly condemns the alleged deliberate attacks on universities and other educational facilities, stressing that these acts are a serious breach of both the protection of civilian areas and international humanitarian law. In addition to putting civilians in danger, attacking educational institutions violates the core values of humanity, responsibility, and the right to education during times of conflict.
![[Image source: Anadolu Agency]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_af0353ebe85b4beb960b31539bedc3df~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_49,h_27,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_af0353ebe85b4beb960b31539bedc3df~mv2.png)
Reports of airstrikes on Iranian educational institutions one month into the conflict's escalation have heightened worries about possible breaches of international humanitarian law. Large-scale military operations by Israel and the United States since February 28 are said to have targeted civilian and military infrastructure, including schools and universities, resulting in substantial civilian casualties.
The bombing of the Iran University of Science and Technology and the repeated attacks on the Isfahan University of Technology, which resulted in staff injuries and structural damage, were among the most concerning incidents. International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which forbids deliberate attacks on non-military targets like educational facilities, protects these institutions, which are mainly civilian in nature.
Human rights organizations and independent investigations have raised other ethical and legal questions by arguing that some strikes, including earlier attacks on schools, may have been deliberate. Educational institutions are considered civilian spaces under the Geneva Conventions and cannot be targeted unless they are being used for military purposes, a claim that is unsupported in such circumstances.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has responded by designating universities connected to Israel and the United States as "legitimate targets," escalating tensions and raising the possibility of a dangerous precedent of reciprocal violations. Such statements and actions jeopardize academic spaces' protected status by normalizing attacks on them.
The targeting of universities not only endangers lives but also disrupts education and research, compounding the humanitarian impact of the conflict. Continued attacks on civilian institutions constitute war crimes and erode long-standing norms of international law designed to protect non-combatants during war.
Glossary
Alleged – something claimed to be true, guilty, or to have occurred, but without proof.
Breach – breaking an agreement, law, duty, or failing to fulfill an obligation
Deliberate – doing something on purpose (intentional) or, as a verb, to think about or discuss something carefully.
Denounces – publicly declares something as wrong or bad.
Erode – to gradually weaken or destroy
Escalating – increasing or becoming more serious
Jeopardize – to put something in danger.
Non-Combatants – people not involved in fighting, like civilians
Normalizing – making something seem usual or acceptable
Precedent - a previous action or decision that can be used as a reason for allowing something else.
Reciprocal - describe actions, feelings, or relationships that are given, felt, or done in return.
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