Over 180 Iranian students, professors martyred in US-Israeli war of terror

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research, and Technology Hossein Simaei has confirmed that over 60 university students and 10 professors have been martyred in the recent US-Israeli aggression.

During a visit to the Aerospace Research Institute of Iran (IARI) on Wednesday, Simaei expressed hope that the academic community would continue the work of those lost in the attacks.

“The students and professors martyred during the illegal aggression have been identified,” Simaei said. “We hope that other members of Iran’s academia continue the work of the martyred students and professors.”

Simaei described the strikes as part of a broader campaign of "scientific crimes" by the US and the Israeli regime. He said the IARI, a facility focused on non-military research in fields such as biology, agriculture, and surveying, was specifically targeted twice despite its peaceful academic objectives.

“This is another of the scientific crimes committed by the sinister US-Israeli alliance. This is a place where researchers in civilian fields like biology, agriculture, and surveying worked, and unfortunately, it has fallen victim to the barbaric attacks of the enemy,” Simaei stated.

Simaei reflected on the loss of Dr. Saeed Shamghadri, an associate professor at Iran University of Science and Technology, who was martyred in the attack alongside his two children.

He described this loss as particularly tragic, underlining the personal cost of the aggression beyond the destruction of academic institutions.

Iranian engineering professor and his two children martyred in Israeli-US aggression

Dr. Saeed Shamghadri, an associate professor at Iran University of Science and Technology, was martyred in an Israeli-American attack along with two children.

In his remarks, Simaei provided details about the broader damage to Iran's educational and scientific infrastructure.

More than 20 state universities, as well as several research institutes, have been directly targeted by the attacks, resulting in both significant physical destruction and the loss of critical human resources.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bijan Ranjbar, the president of the Islamic Azad University, confirmed that 110 students from his institution have been martyred, and 21 university branches of his institution have sustained damage.

In addition, four faculty members and two employees, as well as two students from the SAMA schools, were martyred.

On April 6, Sharif University of Technology, one of Iran's most prestigious engineering universities known as the MIT of Iran, was struck. The High-Performance Computing (HPC) Center, which supports over 3,000 researchers in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science, was severely damaged.

The attack, which Simaei described as part of a broader strategy to cripple Iran’s scientific and technological progress, was not limited to the HPC center. Several laboratories and educational buildings were also hit, alongside a nearby mosque and other academic facilities.

The Sharif University attack followed a pattern of similar assaults on prominent Iranian institutions, including the Laser and Plasma Research Institute at Shahid Beheshti University, the Pasteur Institute, and a satellite development laboratory at Science and Technology University.

The attacks, according to Iranian officials, were deliberate efforts to target strategic research and technological infrastructure.

"The world is governed by international, legal, and ethical order, but we are facing an enemy that adheres to none of these principles,” Simaei said.

Iran’s report details US-Israeli war crimes in targeting schools, hospitals, livelihoods

Iran’s Human Rights Headquarters has condemned the US-Israeli attacks that “deliberately” targeted civilian places directly affecting people

 The minister highlighted that Iran is meticulously documenting all damage inflicted on its academic and research institutions, preparing to take legal action in international courts.

"We are documenting all the damages based on internationally accepted standards," Simaei noted.

"Because claiming damages and filing legal suits have their own specific standards, we are conducting precise evaluations according to these criteria. The extent of the damages will be announced in the future."

Simaei also commented on the plight of Iranian students who have been expelled from universities in the US amid the war.

"Given that the United States, contrary to legal and ethical principles, has expelled some Iranian students who were legally studying there, we announce that all these expelled students and professors can continue their studies at equivalent universities in Iran," he said.

"We welcome them with open arms, and there is no need for them to be concerned."

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir