KABATAAN Party-list Rep. Renee Co has strongly condemned the reported joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on key universities in Iran, warning that such actions mark a dangerous escalation and a direct attack on education.

Co cited the alleged targeting of Isfahan University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology, saying the incidents risk turning institutions of learning into military targets.

“These are not isolated acts of strategy. They reveal a brutal pattern by the US and Israel to systematically dismantle the educational infrastructure of nations they seek to subjugate,” said Co, who also serves as Assistant Minority Leader.

“It exposes a sinister objective: to cripple a nation’s capacity for intellectual and scientific advancement and to rob its youth of their future,” she added.

The lawmaker drew parallels with the situation in the Gaza Strip, where she said universities have been severely damaged amid ongoing conflict. She pointed to institutions such as the Islamic University of Gaza and Al-Azhar University, claiming that no higher education institution remains fully intact.

Co described the reported destruction of universities as “scholasticide,” warning that it could result in a “lost generation” deprived of access to education.

“Schools are zones of peace and must never be targets of military operations. International law is clear: educational institutions are afforded special protection,” she stressed.

The youth representative also linked the issue to domestic concerns, noting that Filipino students continue to face challenges such as red-tagging and threats to academic freedom.

She called on the youth sector to stand in solidarity with students and educators in Iran, Palestine, and other conflict-affected regions.

“The Filipino youth must recognize that the same forces that bomb universities abroad also impose intellectual repression and the commercialization of education at home. We must unite against this global war on learning,” Co said.

Kabataan Party-list reiterated its call for the protection of educational institutions worldwide, emphasizing that schools must remain safe spaces dedicated to learning and development.