Iran-University Strikes/Minister
Iran-University Strikes/Minister
Dateline : April 4, 2026
Location : Iran
Duration : 2'47
Tehran, Iran - April 4, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
1. Various of destroyed teaching buildings, rubble, debris in aftermath of strikes on Shahid Beheshti University
2. Various of Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf visiting school
3. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, Minister of Science, Research and Technology of Iran:
"The place you see is actually at Shahid Beheshti University and opposite the Laser Research Institute. Last week, we had the same situation at the University of Science and Technology in another research center. And earlier at the Isfahan University of Technology, we witnessed two brutal attacks on the country's higher education centers. In general, I can say that more than 30 of our universities have been directly attacked to date."
4. Various of Simaei-Sarraf visiting school
5. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, Minister of Science, Research and Technology of Iran:
"They are attacking a scientific center. Today, as we stand here, millions of our students are deprived of education, training and research. Our country is a country that is providing scientific human resources to the world."
6. Various of damaged bookcase; books, devices scattered on ground
7. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mohammad Azizmi, civil engineering PhD Student, Shahid Beheshti University:
"I am very upset. They attacked both our university and the dormitory, which was the place where my friends lived. I don't know when they will be able to return or when studies will resume."
8. Various of damaged buildings, debris
Iran's Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf said on Saturday more than 30 Iranian universities have been directly attacked by the United States and Israel since the beginning of the war in late February.
Speaking to reporters at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, which was hit in a U.S. and Israeli airstrike on Friday, he said five professors and more than 60 students had been killed. He described the strikes on education and research facilities as violations of international law and crimes against humanity.
"The place you see is actually at Shahid Beheshti University and opposite the Laser Research Institute. Last week, we had the same situation at the University of Science and Technology in another research center. And earlier at the Isfahan University of Technology, we witnessed two brutal attacks on the country's higher education centers. In general, I can say that more than 30 of our universities have been directly attacked to date," Simaei-Sarraf said.
"They are attacking a scientific center. Today, as we stand here, millions of our students are deprived of education, training and research. Our country is a country that is providing scientific human resources to the world," Simaei-Sarraf said.
The Iranian official stressed that attacking universities and research centers means returning to the Stone Age.
At the university, students expressed deep concern over their lives and their future.
"I am very upset. They attacked both our university and the dormitory, which was the place where my friends lived. I don't know when they will be able to return or when studies will resume," said Mohammad Azizmi, a civil engineering PhD Student.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, U.S. and Israeli strikes since Feb 28 have destroyed or damaged 763 schools and tens of thousands of civilian sites across Iran, including commercial units, health centers and scientific institutions. The group also reported casualties among responders and medical staff, underscoring the civilian toll alongside the attacks on universities.
Iranian officials say the strikes on schools and universities are aimed at crippling the country’s scientific and educational base, portraying them as attacks on the nation's future rather than military targets.
ID : 8473409
Published : 2026-04-05 14:03
Last Modified : 2026-04-05 17:47:28
Source : China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda
More