US and Israel accused of cultural and educational warfare against Iran

US and Israeli Attacks on Iran Target Cultural Heritage Sites and Educational Institutions

Iranian officials have confirmed that the US and Israel’s military actions against Iran have resulted in significant damage to cultural heritage sites, educational institutions, and scientific research centers.

According to local media reports, at least 56 heritage sites, 30 universities, and 55 libraries have been affected by the attacks. Reza Salehi Amiri, Iran’s minister of culture and tourism, described the destruction as a “deliberate and conscious attack” on Iranian identity.

The conflict began on February 28 with a strike on an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, which killed at least 170 people, mostly girls aged between seven and 12 years. The US initially denied involvement, but independent investigations have confirmed that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile was used in the attack.

Since the start of the conflict, at least 30 Iranian universities have been targeted by the US and Israel. On March 28, the Iran University of Science and Technology was hit by what Iranian media described as targeted Israeli-US strikes. A university in Isfahan was also attacked on the same day, leaving four staff members wounded.

The Laser and Plasma Research Institute of the Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran was bombed by US and Israeli warplanes on April 4. The minister of science, research, and technology, Hossein Simaei Saraf, stated that Iranian scientists have been targeted for decades.

The attacks on educational institutions and scientific research centers have resulted in significant damage to facilities, including the reduction of a research center to rubble. The Pasteur Institute in downtown Tehran was also attacked, which has worked on infectious diseases and producing vaccines and biological products since its founding over 100 years ago.

On April 6, US-Israeli attacks hit Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, one of Iran’s leading scientific universities. The facility was severely damaged, with extensive damage reported in the mosque and laboratories.

Source: Al Jazeera