US and Israel launch increased attacks on Iranian infrastructure targets

Tehran University Hit by US and Israeli Strikes

At least 30 universities across Iran have been impacted by strikes from the United States and Israel since the start of the war on February 28. The Laser and Plasma Research Institute at Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran was targeted on Friday, resulting in damage to the facility but no casualties due to its largely empty status.

The US and Israel did not provide a reason for the attack, which is part of a growing pattern of civilian sites being targeted by the two countries. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a senior theoretical physicist and nuclear scientist who was assassinated during the opening salvo of Israel’s 12-day war in June, was the director of the magneto-photonics lab at the university.

According to Hossein Simaei Saraf, Iran’s minister of science, research, and technology, parts of at least 30 universities have been affected by US and Israeli strikes since the start of the war. Iranian scientists have faced threats for decades, and several professors from Shahid Beheshti University were assassinated by Israel during the 12-day war.

The attacks on universities and research centers have resulted in significant damage to facilities, including a major university’s research center being reduced to rubble. The Pasteur Institute in downtown Tehran was also targeted, with the World Health Organization confirming that it sustained significant damage and was unable to continue delivering health services.

In addition to these attacks, over 20 healthcare facilities have been targeted since March, according to the WHO. A pharmaceutical company near Tehran was hit this week, with Iran’s government stating that the attack aimed to disrupt medicine supply lines. Schools, houses, and businesses across the country have also been impacted by US and Israeli strikes, resulting in the deaths of over 2,000 people.

Fighter jets flew low over Tehran on Friday night, launching strikes that lit up the mountainous areas north of the capital. The attacks are part of a broader pattern of military action against Iranian economic targets, which could have significant consequences for civilians.

Source: Al Jazeera