From War Zones To Campuses: How US-Israel-Iran Conflict Puts American Students In Crosshairs

Last Updated:March 30, 2026, 10:10 IST

Iran said campuses affiliated with American institutions may become “legitimate targets” unless Washington formally condemns the attacks on Iranian Universities.

American students studying in West Asia are facing fresh concerns after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that US-linked university campuses in the region could be targeted. The threat came as the war entered its second month, with Tehran claiming the United States and Israel of striking Iranian universities.

The IRGC said campuses affiliated with American institutions may become “legitimate targets" unless Washington formally condemns the attacks. The warning has raised alarm across Gulf-based universities, where thousands of US students are currently enrolled.

The IRGC said the United States must issue an official condemnation by noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time.

“If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation, it must condemn the bombing of the universities," the statement said.

It also advised staff, students and nearby residents to stay at least one kilometre away from such campuses.

The warning followed reported strikes on Tehran between Friday and Saturday night. One of the affected sites was the University of Science and Technology in the northeast of the capital. Buildings were damaged in the attack, but no casualties were reported.

Which universities in the Gulf are at risk?

Several American universities operate campuses in the Persian Gulf region. These include Texas A&M University at Qatar, New York University Abu Dhabi and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.

Other institutions mentioned include Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and Georgetown University-Qatar.

The IRGC described all US-affiliated institutions in the region as potential targets until retaliation is carried out.

US officials dismissed the threat as escalation rhetoric amid the ongoing war. There was no immediate response from Washington before the stated deadline.

Thousands of students at risk

Estimates suggest that between 5,000 and 10,000 American students are studying across branch campuses in Qatar, the UAE and other Gulf states.

Individual campuses host significant numbers. Texas A&M in Qatar has around 1,200 to 1,500 students, while New York University Abu Dhabi has about 700 to 1,000 American students. Carnegie Mellon in Qatar has around 400 to 600, and Weill Cornell in Qatar has between 200 and 300.

Evacuations have begun at several of these campuses following the IRGC warning. Many US students have been relocated as tensions rise during the ongoing conflict.

Previous attacks on US bases in West Asia

Iran has carried out multiple missile and drone strikes on US military bases across the Middle East since the war began on February 28.

More than 17 sites in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan have been targeted. Iranian claims suggest over 500 US casualties, though these figures remain unverified.

Major attacks included strikes on March 1 targeting the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and air bases in Qatar and the UAE. Later strikes on March 28 and 29 targeted sites in Jordan and other Gulf bases.

Overall, damage to infrastructure has been estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. The attacks are part of Iran’s “True Promise" operations in response to US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Last week, Tehran warned that hotels and civilian facilities housing US military personnel in Gulf countries could become “legitimate defensive targets". Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused US forces of using Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) civilians as “human shields". He claimed American personnel were “hiding in hotels and offices" after “fleeing" military bases.

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