Updated March 29, 2026 — Iranian officials issued stark warnings on Sunday, saying they would strike U.S. forces and educational institutions affiliated with the United States and Israel if the confrontation escalates.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, told state media that Iranian forces are “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” and added, “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.” He also criticized a reported 15-point proposal that Pakistan delivered to Iran last week, calling it “their wishes” and accusing the U.S. administration of attempting by diplomatic means what it failed to achieve by force. “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is clear: Far be it from us to accept humiliation,” he said.
Separately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that branches of Israeli and American educational institutions in the region would be considered “legitimate targets” unless the U.S. publicly condemned recent bombings of Iranian universities. The IRGC set a deadline of 12:00 p.m. Monday, March 30, for such a condemnation, and urged evacuation of American and Israeli campuses while telling students and staff to remain at least one kilometer away.
The IRGC demanded that Washington prevent further strikes by Israel on Iranian universities and research centers, which have been attacked in recent days. Israel’s military has acknowledged strikes on Iranian universities it says were connected to weapons development.
American universities have a presence in the Gulf region, including campuses or programs connected to Georgetown, New York University, and Northwestern, among others. The American University of Beirut said it would move to remote instruction for two days starting Sunday; AUB’s president said the decision was precautionary and emphasized the school’s commitment to safety.
Analysts noted this is the first explicit Iranian threat to strike Israeli and American universities, and that several regional institutions have shifted some instruction online as the wider conflict has escalated following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
In a post on X, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned that Iran and allied militias “may intend to target the American Universities in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk, along with other universities perceived to be associated with the United States.” The embassy accused Iran and affiliated militias of carrying out “widespread attacks on U.S. citizens [and] targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq” and said the Iraqi government has failed to prevent terrorist attacks against U.S. and regional targets from Iraqi territory.