TEHRAN - September 9, the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, is a reminder of one of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law: schools, universities, teachers and students must be protected from the violence of war.

The recent war against Iran has highlighted a blatant violation of international law, with the United States and Israel carrying out attacks on Iran’s educational infrastructure, inflicting extensive damage to schools, universities, laboratories, research institutions, and other educational facilities, and killing many students and academics.

One of the most devastating incidents occurred on February 28 at the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province. The school was struck as children between the ages of seven and twelve were beginning their lessons.

The collapse of the building trapped students and teachers under the rubble. Iranian authorities put the final death toll at 168, with at least 95 others wounded.

Whatever the ultimate findings regarding responsibility and the circumstances of the strike, the scale of the reported loss of civilian life underscores why the protection of educational spaces must be treated as an urgent international obligation.

The attacks did not end with schools. According to Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, the minister of science, research and technology, more than 30 universities across the country were directly attacked during the conflict.

He reported that five university professors and more than 60 students were killed. Officials have described attacks on scientific and educational infrastructure as crimes against humanity, arguing that scientific institutions were targeted because of their technological and research capabilities.

The Organization of Student Affairs has also said that legal proceedings were being pursued over attacks on universities, dormitories, schools and scientific centers.

According to its head, Saeed Habiba, a team of judicial experts was established to document the damage and assess its extent, while authorities are pursuing cases in domestic courts and international forums. Officials have further stated that 175 university students were killed in the attacks.

Specific university strikes have also been cited by Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani. In letters to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council, he said that attacks on scientific institutions constituted violations of international humanitarian law.

He referred, in particular, to damage caused to Sharif University of Technology, including facilities associated with civil and electrical engineering and research institutes, as well as an earlier strike affecting Shahid Beheshti University's Laser and Plasma Research Institute.

These crimes cannot simply be dismissed as another chapter in a geopolitical dispute. If educational institutions were deliberately targeted, or if attacks were conducted without adequate distinction between military objectives and protected civilian objects, the consequences under international law could be extremely serious.

The appropriate response is not political silence, but strong condemnation and impartial investigation based on evidence.

September 9 should therefore be more than a symbolic observance. It should be a demand for action: independent investigations into attacks on Iranian educational institutions; transparent assessment of civilian casualties and material damage; protection and reconstruction of damaged educational facilities; and accountability for anyone found to have violated international humanitarian law.

A classroom is not a battlefield. A university is not a legitimate target merely because it belongs to an adversary.

If the international community is serious about protecting education from attack, it must apply that commitment universally. The unlawful attacks on Iranian schools, universities and scientific institutions must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable.

Education is a right, not a target. And international law must mean the same thing for every child, everywhere.