Iranian officials warned that U.S.-linked universities in the Middle East could become targets as the conflict with the United States widens. The warning followed weeks of intensifying clashes and came alongside Tehran signals of a “ferocious” response, with retaliation framed as potentially extending beyond military and energy sites. The reporting highlights a dense American academic footprint across the region, including American University Beirut’s Olayan School of Business and U.S. branch campuses such as Carnegie Mellon University Qatar and NYU Abu Dhabi. It also notes the role of U.S.-modeled curricula and governance ties that keep these institutions closely linked to the United States. Universities responded operationally: Georgetown University Qatar said remote work and online instruction would continue until further notice, and American University Beirut’s president reported fully remote operations “out of an abundance of caution.”