Since the beginning of the aggressive attacks by the U.S.-Israeli coalition on Iran, a series of extensive assaults on Iranian scientific and academic centers including the Iran University of Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, the Iranian Space Research Institute, Abbaspoor University, and the Pasteur Institute of Tehran, have drawn global attention.

These attacks, carried out mainly by American and Israeli forces, go beyond conventional military operations and carry broad strategic, cultural, and scientific implications. Analyzing these strikes highlights both the fear of foreign powers toward Iran’s scientific progress and the necessity of emphasizing the resilience of local science and knowledge in the face of violence and bombing.

Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure on such a scale can, according to credible legal sources, constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law. Under the Geneva Conventions and customary international humanitarian law, civilian locations, including schools and universities, are generally protected from attacks.

The strike on the Pasteur Institute of Tehran, a research and public health center with over a century of history and a member of the international Pasteur network is a prime example of targeting scientific institutions as part of modern warfare. Established in the 1920s, the institute has been a regional pioneer in vaccine production and has played a key role in controlling deadly diseases, particularly plague originating from wildlife in the Middle East.

Political analyst Pepe Escobar describes this attack as a brutal act reflecting the blind rage and incapacity of the aggressors, reminiscent of the horrifying combination of violence and aggressive policies in West Asia. Historians and environmental experts argue that this assault is not just against Iran; it threatens global health, the scientific heritage of humanity, and the regional ecosystem. The Pasteur Institute of Iran is not only a center for vaccine research and infectious disease studies but also symbolizes a century-long interdisciplinary tradition, combining fieldwork in wildlife with epidemiology and historical data. Targeting this institute, many argue, is a form of biological attack, endangering both the lives of scientists and sensitive archival data.

Vali Nasr, former advisor to the Obama administration, characterizes the attack as an assault on modern Iranian history and a symbol of national development. He believes that the destruction of the Pasteur Institute aims to return Iran to a state of backwardness and erase a century of modernization achievements.

Attacks on Iranian universities, including Iran University of Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, and the Space Research Institute, follow a similar pattern aimed at limiting the country’s scientific and industrial capacities. Universities and research institutes are not only centers for educating students and training specialized professionals in engineering, technology, and basic sciences, but they also create networks of research and development directly linked to defense industries, critical infrastructure, and innovative technologies.

In the context of modern warfare, destroying such institutions constitutes an attack on the human capital of the future. Education, research, and technology production form a continuous cycle of national development, and targeting universities, especially those engaged in research related to defense, energy, and strategic technologies is, in effect, an effort to dismantle national scientific infrastructure and knowledge production.

Examining attacks on universities and scientific centers within international law makes their implications even more serious. According to international humanitarian law, including the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions and customary international law, attacking civilian objects, particularly those without a clear “military use,” is prohibited. Access to education is a fundamental human right, and attacking it can constitute a violation of human rights and, in some cases, a war crime. Organizations such as the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack emphasize that striking educational institutions and denying access to education, especially during wartime, is a clear violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The focus of these attacks on Iran’s universities and scientific centers reflects the fear of foreign powers regarding Iran’s scientific advancement and self-reliance. National and regional research institutions play a vital role in training specialized personnel, developing indigenous technologies, and strengthening industrial and defense capabilities. Although these achievements may not be immediately visible, they consolidate Iran’s long-term position as a leading power in the Middle East.

Targeting advanced research centers like the Space Research Institute and the Pasteur Institute is an attempt to reduce scientific self-sufficiency and create dependence on foreign technology. This is not merely a military threat but also a threat to the country’s scientific and cultural independence.

Universities and research institutions are engines of knowledge and technological production. Training engineers, scientists, and specialists across disciplines lays the foundation for industrial and economic development. Destroying such centers is not just a physical attack on buildings; it is an assault on the transmission of knowledge, the training of skilled professionals, and technology production.

This type of warfare against scientific institutions shows that Iran’s adversaries understand that the country’s future strength lies not only in its military but also in its knowledge and scientific development. Therefore, targeting universities and research institutes is a deliberate and strategic action to limit Iran’s scientific and engineering capabilities.

Despite damage to buildings and equipment, Iran’s local knowledge and science cannot be destroyed by bombing. Iranian universities and scientific centers have a long-standing tradition of research and development rooted in a century of education, scholarship, and innovation. The country’s skilled human capital and extensive academic networks are capable of preserving and continuing knowledge even under difficult and constrained conditions.

Historical and field research, particularly in public health, wildlife, and epidemiology demonstrates that the transmission of experience, archival data, and training future generations of scientists are pillars of national science that bombing cannot eradicate. The Pasteur Institute, Iran University of Science and Technology, the Space Research Institute, and other centers are examples of this scientific resilience; although they may be temporarily affected, they are capable of rebuilding and continuing their research activities.

Attacks on scientific centers have broad global and ethical consequences. The Pasteur Institute’s vaccine production and public health research are critical not only for Iran but also for global health. Destroying such institutions poses a threat to entire ecosystems and human health and could have serious consequences for controlling infectious diseases and food security.

These attacks also carry legal and ethical implications. Universities and research centers are generally civilian infrastructure, and attacking them without clear evidence of military use can constitute a violation of international law and the laws of war.

Given the ongoing attacks, academic and scientific communities in Iran and around the world have emphasized the need to protect universities and research centers. Scientific diplomacy and international academic networks can support scientific independence, apply legal pressure, prevent widespread assaults on research institutions, and ensure the continuation of scientific work.

Global support for universities and research institutes, legal, financial, and political is an urgent necessity to allow scientists and researchers to continue their work even in wartime and to safeguard both national and global scientific heritage.

Iran has also responded in various ways: not only with military actions but also by threatening to target U.S. and Israeli-affiliated universities in the region. These threats have prompted many international universities in the Gulf, including American and European branches, to shift classes online or suspend in-person activities to avoid potential harm.

Recent attacks on Iranian universities and scientific centers from the Pasteur Institute to the Space Research Institute are part of a deliberate strategy to weaken Iran’s scientific, industrial, and defense capabilities. These attacks reflect the fear of foreign powers regarding Iran’s scientific progress and efforts to limit the country’s self-sufficiency.

Nevertheless, historical experience and the structure of Iran’s academic network show that local knowledge and science cannot be destroyed by bombing. Universities and research institutes remain capable of conducting research, training specialized personnel, and producing technology. Attacks on scientific centers go beyond physical damage, they are assaults on historical memory, modern development, and Iran’s scientific independence. Yet the knowledge and determination of local researchers form a strong barrier against these efforts.

As the Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “We must arm ourselves with knowledge so that the threats of our adversaries, whether one or many cannot operate as effectively as they have so far.”

Science and knowledge, whether at the Pasteur Institute or advanced universities, always endure. No bomb or attack can close the path of indigenous progress and development for the Iranian nation.