Letter from the Presidents of 15 Top Iranian Universities to the UN Secretary-General Regarding the Zionist and American Aggression Against Iran

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The rectors of 15 top Iranian universities have sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for international condemnation of a large-scale military attack allegedly carried out by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, 2026.

According to the letter, which was also sent to university heads worldwide, the strikes resulted in the martyrdom of Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, his family members, 167 schoolgirls, and hundreds of other civilians. It further claims that hospitals, schools, and cultural sites were destroyed.

The rectors argue the attack violates the UN Charter and international law, invoking Article 51 to affirm Iran's right to self-defense. They urge Guterres and the global academic community to condemn the atrocities to prevent future attacks on civilians and national leaders.

The full text of letter is in below: 

In the Name of God, the Compassioante, the Mericifull

H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres,

Esteemed Secretary-General of the United Nations

CC: Heads of Freedom-seeking Universities of the World

Subject: The necessity of condemning, in the strongest term American-Israeli Imposed War on the Islamic Republic of Iran,

The current brutal aggression perpetrated by the United States of America and Israeli regime on 28 Feruary 2026 against the Islamic Republic of Iran, resulting in the martyrdom of the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and his family members, the killing of 167 primary school girls, and hundreds of other civilians, including children, women and the elderly, destroying hospitals and medical centers, etc. constitutes a gross violation of the UN Charter and all established international laws and regulations. The deliberate destruction of educational institutions, including schools and universities, and the targeted killing of students, and bombardment of academic faculties, cultural buildings etc. generate an atmosphere of pervasive fear and profound anxiety in the world.

In the current global paradigm defined by knowledge and rationality, it is imperative that international bodies initiate prompt legal proceedings against such heinous acts, which represent a clear continuation of a policy rooted in unipolarity and unilateral decision-making.

It is crucial to recall that the UN Charter, based on the immense cost of the First and Second World Wars serves as a solemn instrument against the going back to conflict. Yet, the United States of America, since its inception in 1775 on lands acquired through force, has persistently instigated war against the nations and the peoples of the world. Both the US and Israeli regime share a common history of seizing the territories of other nations through the use of force.

This current criminal assault by the US and the Israeli regimes is not only a direct violation of the UN Charter which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, but it is a breach of international humanitarian law and human rights conventions, including the Geneva Conventions (1949) and their Additional Protocols, which strictly forbid attacks on civilian populations and residential areas.

Furthermore, the terrorist act of eliminating national leaders and heads of state by the US and

Israeli regimes violates critical international instruments, particularly Security Council resolutions condemning acts of terrorism in its strongest term. The massacre of 167 Iranian schoolgirls represents a gross violation of the right to life, "the right to education", and the fundamental rights of the child as enshrined in "the Convention on the Rights of the Child". The attack on Iranian radio and television buildings constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of expression and the people's right to free access to information, as defined by Article 19 of "the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and "the 1966 Covenant". Moreover, the United States, as a signatory to "the 1972 World Heritage Convention", bears the obligation to protecting, not attacking, Iran's cultural and natural world heritage.

The Iranian nation with thousands years of civilization and nurturing globally renowned scientists and scholars, has been consistently seeking peaceful coexistence and cooperation with other nations throughout various historical epochs.

Iran has robustly defended itself against foreign aggression, and in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter reserves its inalienable right to repel attacks until any threat to its independence and territorial integrity is decisively eliminated.

We expect you as the Secretary General of the United Nations, as the paramount body established post-World War II to prevent warmongering and safeguarding human life, property and security globally to strongly condemn the current and any attack at the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We, also, call upon all UN member states, as well as the global academic community to unite in condemning these atrocities, thereby preventing any recurrence of the assassination of national leaders, the targeting of civilians and children, and the destruction of civilizational and human infrastructures.

Respectfully, The rectors of 15 Top-Tier Universities of Iran