In what it called a “precautionary measure,” the American University of Armenia (AUA) switched to online classes on Monday following neighboring Iran’s threats to target U.S.-affiliated campuses in the region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) made the threats after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes reportedly destroyed two Iranian universities on the night from Friday to Saturday.
“If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation … it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,” the IRGC said, according to Iranian news agencies.
It warned “all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay a kilometer away from campuses. The warning seemed primarily addressed to several U.S. universities that have branches in Gulf Arab states.
“Due to the threat made by Iran to target American universities in West Asia and the Middle East, all AUA classes on Monday, March 30, will be held fully online,” read a statement released by the Yerevan-based university.
“In taking this step, we emphasize that we have received no direct threats against our university, and no indication that we are in any kind of danger, so there is no cause for alarm,” it said. “This is simply a precautionary measure, taken out of an abundance of caution, because the safety of our community is of paramount importance.”
The AUA did not explicitly say when it will resume in-person teaching. It was also not clear whether the university administration consulted with the Armenian government before announcing its decision. The government did not immediately react to it.
The AUA, which is affiliated with University of California, was founded in 1991 with the help of Armenian philanthropists in the United States as well as Armenia’s first post-Communist government. It has since expanded significantly and become of the country’s most reputable universities.
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