Iran's Ministry of Health reports scientific warfare and academic targeting

During a press conference regarding the 32nd Razi Medical Research Festival, Shahin Akhundzadeh, Deputy for Research and Technology at the Ministry of Health, discussed the impact of ongoing conflicts on Iran's scientific community. He characterized recent developments as a form of "scientific warfare," noting that researchers and faculty members have been targeted through assassinations and bombings.

Akhundzadeh highlighted the destruction of various academic institutions, including Sharif University of Technology and Boshahr University of Medical Sciences, specifically mentioning the severe damage to a major regional research center. He also addressed the exclusion of Iranian universities from the Times Higher Education impact rankings, attributing this to financial sanctions that prevent universities from paying required membership fees. He described this exclusion as a deliberate attempt to remove Iran from the global scientific stage.