By Nohad Topalian | 2026-04-15

The American University of Beirut (AUB) suspended in-person classes and immediately shifted to remote learning on March 29.

This move came in response to explicit threats from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target American universities across the Middle East.

The warning instilled fear throughout Beirut and denied the country of one of its core pillars of educational and health services.

AUB President Fadlo Khouri responded to the threats by shifting all classes and educational activities to a remote system, limiting campus access to essential staff.

Other institutions, including the Lebanese American University (LAU), mirrored AUB's move, adopting remote learning to reflect the shared sense of vulnerability among Lebanon's educational sector.

Since its founding in 1866, this is the first time AUB, Beirut's most vibrant educational and cultural hub, has been emptied.

Politicians condemned the threat as a direct assault on national sovereignty and a sectarian-blind affront to all Lebanese.

"Designating universities and hospitals as targets is a documented war crime, generating chaos and panic even if no missiles are fired," said Makram Rabah, an AUB history professor and political activist opposed to Hizbullah.

"Against the state's fragile infrastructure, the university works to create safety; to target it is like following us into our homes to kill us," he told Al-Fassel.

IRGC’s threats menace both healthcare and education, assaulting AUB as a vital hub for professional training and high-quality medical care.