ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated media on Sunday shared an image warning that Iran considers American universities in the Middle East, including the American Universities of Sulaimani and Baghdad, "legitimate targets."

The graphic provided an evacuation warning urging those nearby to remain one kilometer away from the listed academic institutes.

In a separate statement earlier on Sunday, the IRGC said that the US and Israel had bombed Tehran University of Science and Technology and had targeted Iranian universities several times, warning that "all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us until two universities are hit in retaliation for the Iranian universities that were destroyed."

The statement included a warning to staff, professors, students, and residents around the institutions to keep a distance of one kilometer away from the universities to "keep their lives safe," saying that if the US wants its universities in the region to be spared except for two universities, "it must officially condemn the bombing of universities" in Iran by Tuesday noon, 12 o'clock Tehran time.

The  Isfahan University of Technology also said on Sunday that it was targeted in an airstrike by "Zionist-American aggressors," marking the second time the university has been targeted since the beginning of the conflict.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Saturday said that US-Israeli strikes targeted "many universities and research centers deliberately" during the war.

The American University of Sulaimani (AUIS) has moved all classes online since the beginning of the conflict, coming as the Kurdistan Region has been repeatedly targeted by Iran and Iran-aligned factions within Iraq.

The American University of Beirut, which was also mentioned as a possible target for the IRGC, on Sunday announced that it will be holding classes remotely for the coming two days amid the security risks.

"Like many of you, we learned early this morning of threats issued against American universities in the region," University President Fadlo Khouri said in a statement.

"At this time, we have no evidence of direct threats against our university, its campuses or medical centers," he continued. "At the same time, out of an abundance of caution, we will operate fully online on Monday and Tuesday, with the exception of essential personnel."

AUIS opened its doors to students in 2007 and was founded by prominent Kurdish politician and former Iraqi President Barham Salih, who is currently serving as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

"AUIS brings together students from diverse religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds — from Kurdistan, Iraq, and neighboring countries," said Salih. "Here, they prepare to thrive in a global economy, equipped with essential skills in information technology, management, and environmental stewardship."

The American University of Baghdad, meanwhile, was established in 2021, with the university's website describing its founding vision as a dream to create a "world-class institution of higher learning established in Baghdad, reminiscent of the days when the city was an educational and cultural mecca and the flourishing capital of the Muslim world."