Iran university strikes ‘systematically dismantle’ homegrown development, sovereignty: Analysis

[0:00] As we've reported, Iran's Revolutionary Guard is threatened to target U.S. and Israeli universities in the region. [0:06] It says that's in response to the bombing of two universities in Iran. [0:10] One of those was the University of Science and Technology in Tehran. [0:14] The Revolutionary Guard Corps has given the U.S. a deadline to condemn the attack. [0:21] Helia Doutari is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Tehran. [0:26] Helia visited the aftermath of one of those strikes on the universities. [0:31] And joins us now live from the Iranian capital. [0:35] So, just how traumatic was it to walk through the campus of the University of Science and Technology? [0:42] A place you were familiar with before it was destroyed. [0:48] There was no warning provided. Let me start with that. [0:51] And I visited the university yesterday and witnessed the extensive damages to several departments. [0:57] Including the Faculty of Physics, the Ma'arif department. [1:01] Which provides, you know, foundational knowledge. [1:04] For engineering prerequisite courses to students. [1:07] As well as a central building that where students were telling me this building was newly renovated. [1:14] It provided them with the housing examination hall, auditorium, library facilities. [1:20] And several offices of professors across those departments were completely dismantled. [1:28] The university was home, as it appears, Science and Technology. [1:33] It was home to brilliant students and scholars in STEM fields. [1:37] And also, the research and development of the indigenous satellites in Iran. [1:44] Including the high precision attitude control system and advanced solar panels were made in this university. [1:51] Satellite Zafar-2, Omid satellite. [1:54] These were just among some of the satellites indigenously made within this with civilian operation. [2:01] Used to, and their primary mission has been earth observation with spatial resolution of 15 meters. [2:10] Supporting applications such as mapping, such as resource monitoring, agriculture. [2:15] These were the nature of the technologies that were being researched and developed in this university. [2:21] Helya, as you're talking, I'll just point out for viewers that we're looking at pictures. [2:25] I think you took at least some of those pictures during your visit to the campus showing the destruction there. [2:32] Do you see this as an attempt to de-industrialize and de-develop Iran? [2:40] That's precisely, in my opinion, what is happening. [2:46] First of all, let me, I come from a legal background, so I would like to share the legal analysis of this. [2:51] Where such actions constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law. [2:56] Universities are civilian objects, they're protected under Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols. [3:04] And I think it's important to note that Iran's right to development, as I said, why, and the role of the university in the country. [3:09] The targeting of this particular university, following the assassination of Saeed Shamagdari, a distinguished professor from the same university only last week. [3:20] And also putting this in the broader context, against half a century of sanctions imposed on Iran targeting similar industries that are indigenous, that are homegrown in Iran. [3:32] Reveal a consistent and clear pattern. [3:34] And that is the systemic de-industrialization and underdevelopment of Iran's indigenous capabilities, which have historically enabled Iran to assert its sovereignty. [3:46] And it's the only force right now, as we're witnessing in the world, capable of materially challenging U.S. and Zionist colonial expansion in the region. [3:56] So the targeting is very systematic and it's very designed to make Iran incapable of defending its sovereignty. [4:04] By relying on its indigenous advancing, indigenous development and industries. [4:10] How is that impacting students? How is it impacting parents? [4:15] Are they afraid to let their kids go to schools? [4:18] Because as we saw, you know, today we're talking about strikes on universities. [4:23] At the beginning of this war, we saw the killings of over 150 schoolgirls in an attack. [4:32] What was the opening sort of acts of this war by U.S. and Israel? [4:37] That must be a very worrying thing for parents to wake up each day and have to make that decision about whether they want to send their kids to school. [4:43] Listen, schools and universities have been have been paused ever since the start of the war. [4:52] And we were lucky that no students were present on campus when the university was targeted. [4:58] But as you mentioned, we've seen this pattern in Gaza. [5:02] We've seen this in Lebanon. [5:03] We're seeing it in and the reason we're seeing it in Iran repeating is the fact that it's been happening with impunity. [5:10] And one thing I want to highlight, because you mentioned Minab as the targeting of a school with over 168 students killed. [5:20] You know, I've repeatedly heard people talk about how Iran is retaliating and both legally and otherwise. [5:29] I think it's misplaced to argue that. [5:32] Iran is retaliating because we have not yet seen Iran target schools. [5:39] We have not yet seen Iran target hospitals. [5:42] We have not seen Iran kill children. [5:46] And so the fact that Iran, even right now, when they're talking about targeting. [5:52] How do you as an academic feel then about the statements we heard from the IRGC saying they will start targeting American universities? [6:02] As we know, there are campuses and universities right across the region. [6:07] As a legal scholar, as an academic, would you also condemn that in the same terms that, you know, universities, wherever they are, whether they're in Iran or elsewhere, should be off limits in this war? [6:22] Universities are off limit from an international law perspective. [6:27] What makes universities a legitimate target? [6:30] And I'm speaking as a legal scholar under international law. [6:33] Is the fact that if they provide assistance to military of the aggressors with that logic that the United States is right now deploying any university that has a contract with the Department of Defense provides research and development in assisting or advancing U.S. military operation against Iranian sovereignty becomes legitimate target on international humanitarian law for Iran. [7:01] And the fact that Iran has provided. [7:03] Right. [7:04] Has provided notice right now, giving them time to evacuate in case there is an attack and giving them option not to. [7:12] Right. [7:13] Also talks about how Iran is insisting to conduct its operations legally. [7:18] I'm sorry. [7:19] Even though we don't have. [7:20] Right. [7:21] I'm sorry, but we are really out of time. [7:22] It's been a pleasure talking to you. [7:24] Thank you so much. [7:25] Helya Dutaqi there from the University of Tehran. [7:28] Thanks for having me.