TEHRAN — Verified footage emerged early on Saturday, March 28, 2026, showing the devastating aftermath of a targeted U.S.-Israeli airstrike on the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in northeast Tehran. The video, widely circulated by regional outlets and geolocated by independent analysts, confirms that a precision strike hit the university’s Satellite Research Center at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time, sending a powerful blast wave through the surrounding campus buildings.
The strike is part of a “fresh wave” of overnight attacks targeting Iranian technological and military-industrial hubs as the conflict enters its 29th day.
The Footage: Precision vs. Proximity
The video, shared by eyewitnesses and local student groups, provides a grim look at the damage sustained by one of Iran’s premier academic institutions.
- Satellite Center Obliterated: The footage shows the primary satellite research building reduced to a skeleton of twisted steel and concrete. Firefighters are seen battling small secondary blazes amid the wreckage.
- Collateral Damage: The blast wave shattered windows and blew out doors in adjacent faculty buildings and student dormitories. Students filmed from their balconies as thick smoke rose over the campus, with many seen fleeing toward the university’s lower levels for safety.
- Satellite Research Focus: The U.S. and Israel have previously identified this specific center as a “dual-use” facility, alleging it provides the technical foundation for Iran’s long-range ballistic missile program.
The “Dual-Use” Justification
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially acknowledged the strike on Saturday morning, framing it as a necessary step to degrade Iran’s “strategic reach.”
- Missile Technology Link: An IDF spokesperson stated that the university’s aerospace and satellite departments act as a “front for the IRGC’s missile development.”
- No Reported Casualties: Remarkably, local media and the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) report no fatalities or injuries on the campus so far, as the university had been largely evacuated following earlier strikes on the nearby Imam Hossein University on March 7.
- Faculty Targeted: The strike follows the reported killing of Saeed Shemkadri, a prominent electrical engineering faculty member at the same university, in a separate targeted hit on his home on March 23.
Tehran’s “Night of Fire”: March 28 Overview
The hit on IUST was just one component of a broader overnight campaign across the Iranian capital.
| Time (Local) | Location | Target/Impact |
| 1:04 AM | Lavizan | Multiple blasts and bright flashes near military research sites. |
| 2:00 AM | Simon Bolivar St. | Heavy explosion reported in the northwest residential/commercial district. |
| 3:00 AM | IUST Campus | Satellite Research Center destroyed; surrounding buildings damaged. |
| Overnight | Tehran Marine Industries | Strikes on the HQ responsible for developing naval weaponry and unmanned vessels. |
What’s Next?
President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to the university strike today, telling Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif that attacks on “centers of learning and industry” prove that Washington is not negotiating in good faith. As the April 6 deadline approaches, the systematic dismantling of Iran’s aerospace and satellite infrastructure suggests the coalition is moving to ensure Iran cannot launch a coordinated “Space-to-Surface” counter-strike.
