Article by Viory
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ personal envoy Jean Arnault inspected the damage at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on Thursday, after the campus was hit by airstrikes earlier this week.
Footage shows damaged buildings and scattered debris across the campus, with a sign reading ‘Trump’s aid has arrived’ visible among the rubble. The delegation was also seen attending a briefing at the Red Crescent headquarters. The envoy was accompanied by Iran’s Science Minister Hossein Simaei-Sarraf and the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pirhossein Kolivand.
Simaei-Sarraf said the visit aims to prepare an initial assessment of the damage, ahead of a more detailed report to be submitted to the United Nations.
He described the strike as an attempt to undermine Iran’s scientific capabilities.
“After the enemy failed to confront the country militarily, it targeted the roots of its strength – its universities, laboratories, and research centres.”
“The enemy will never be able to destroy this massive scientific structure. Yes, it can destroy buildings; if it makes them happy, they will do so by destroying buildings, but it will bury its desire to eliminate the thousands of years of science and civilisation in Iran with these attacks,” he added.
Iranian officials said the university was struck in an Israeli airstrike on Monday. The university’s president, Masoud Tajrishi, said that the targeted facility was a computing centre with no military function.
Arnault also met with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Tehran and visited an apartment block which was also damaged in recent airstrikes, affirming the UN’s commitment to de-escalation in the Iran war.
Tensions in the Middle East escalated after the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with strikes targeting Israeli and US military sites across the region, with reports of explosions in several Gulf countries.
The conflict has also drawn in Hezbollah, which said it joined the fighting in retaliation for Khamenei’s killing, while shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, have faced disruption following its closure.
Article by Viory
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