TEHRAN- Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has accused the United States and Israel of committing “unprecedented barbarism” by deliberately targeting Iranian universities and scientific institutions, calling the strikes war crimes that no amount of threats or military pressure can extinguish.

In a series of letters to the U.N. secretary-general and the Security Council this week, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani detailed a systematic campaign of state terrorism. He cited an airstrike early on April 6 that severely damaged Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, including its faculties of civil engineering and electrical engineering, as well as research institutes for nanotechnology and environmental studies. That attack followed a similar strike on April 3 that hit Shahid Beheshti University, damaging its Laser and Plasma Research Institute.

“The intentional targeting of scientific institutions and universities constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime,” Iravani wrote.

The Iranian government’s spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani speaking at a news conference at Shahid Beheshti University, echoed that defiance. “The enemies cannot extinguish the lamp of Iranian science,” the spokesperson said, adding that recent attacks were meant to undermine the achievements of the 47-year-old revolution and sever the bond between the nation and its homeland. “These miscalculations are wrong. Iran is the common denominator of all Iranians. Those who have a homeland will stand behind their country, and Iranians living abroad will never give in.”

Trump’s threats draw sharp rebuke

In a separate letter, Iravani expressed “utmost alarm” over public statements by President Trump threatening to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants — infrastructure that is indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. “The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects … constitutes a war crime and represents a blatant act of state terrorism,” Iravani wrote. “Even terrorist groups like ISIS were ashamed of making such reckless, horrible public statements.”

U.S. Acknowledged Arming Opposition Groups, Iran Says

The Iranian envoy also seized on Trump’s recent interview with Fox News, in which the president said Washington had armed Kurdish Iranian opposition groups during demonstrations in Iran in January. Iravani called the admission “clear evidence” that the United States sought to turn peaceful protests into violence and bloodshed. He argued that arming groups inside another country violates the U.N. Charter and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and that the U.S. bears full responsibility for damage and suffering during the unrest of December 2025 and January 2026.

Accusations Against Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.

In his most detailed complaints, Iravani accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of violating the principles of good neighborliness by allowing the U.S. and Israel to use their territory and airspace to launch attacks on Iran. He provided specific instances from March 23 to March 28, including U.S. F-35, F-15E and F-16SV fighter jets conducting bombing raids after transiting Saudi or Emirati airspace, as well as U-2S reconnaissance aircraft and KC-135 tanker planes operating from those countries.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its strong and unequivocal objection to these unlawful actions,” Iravani wrote, while reaffirming Iran’s commitment to good neighborly relations. He added that Tehran reserves its inherent right to take all necessary measures, including self-defense, to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Security Council, Iravani demanded, must unequivocally condemn the attacks, halt ongoing criminal acts by the U.S. and Israel, and hold all responsible, including Trump and the Israeli prime minister, fully accountable under international law.