THE Israeli-US nexus’ fixation on Iran’s universities and seminaries betrays an anxiety deeper than geopolitics.

For decades, the duo assumed that “shock and awe,” sanctions and assassination of Iranian leaders would cripple the Islamic Republic. Its military infrastructure was neutralized, yet Iran endured, innovating in science, technology and asymmetric strategies. The realization that Iran’s strength lies not in conventional arms but in intellectual capital has opened a new front: after decimating schools, hospitals and urban centres, the assault now targets universities, research institutes and seminaries.

Despite decades of isolation, Iran forged a formidable intellectual foundation. After the 1979 Revolution, many of its brightest minds returned from abroad to build a scientific and technological infrastructure. Universities became bastions of resilience, where laboratories replaced barracks and research displaced rhetoric. Under pressure, society learned to innovate, producing indigenous technologies and resisting external coercion. Bombs may shatter runways, but they cannot silence ideas.

Iran’s intellectual resilience is rooted in centuries of scholarship. During the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, when Europe languished in the Dark Ages, Persian lands produced some of the greatest minds in human history. Ibn Sina, Al Khwarizmi, Omar Khayyam, Al Farabi, Al Ghazali, Fakhr al Din al Razi et-al enriched knowledge across disciplines. This heritage is not a relic but a living tradition. Iranian universities today draw upon this reservoir, instilling pride and continuity. Iqbal,........

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