President Trump hints at occupying Iran’s oil hub Kharg Island
President Donald Trump has suggested to the Financial Times that the United States may seize Iran’s oil hub, Kharg Island, as talks with Iran continue.
At least two U.S. university campuses in the Middle East have increased security measures this week after reports that Iran is threatening to attack U.S.-run universities in the region.
Multiple media outlets reported on Sunday, March 29, that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to target American universities in the Middle East, and two American schools in Lebanon and Qatar have been closed.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad acknowledged the threat in a warning posted on social media on March 29, warning that Iran “may intend to target” U.S. universities in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Suleymaniyah, and Duhok.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned that “Iran has specifically targeted U.S. universities across the Middle East.”
The notice added that other universities “deemed to have ties to the United States” could also be targeted by Iran and its affiliated militias. USA TODAY has reached out to the State Department for further information.
The two universities that closed are not permanently closed. The American University of Beirut announced it would close its campus in the Lebanese capital from March 30 to 31, and Georgetown University announced early March 30 that it would close its campus buildings in Qatar until further notice. Both schools said they would continue to operate online.
Fadloh R. Khouli, president of the American University of Beirut, said there was no evidence the school had made any direct threats against the university, its campus or its medical center, but it was closing its campus “out of an abundance of caution.”
Iran’s threat is reportedly in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that Iran claims struck two Iranian universities over the weekend, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Persian Gulf also has a campus operated by New York University in the United Arab Emirates. Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Texas A&M University have universities in Qatar.
New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus moved to remote learning earlier this month. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether its campus would remain open.
As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran enters its fifth week, widespread alerts remain for American travelers and citizens across the Middle East. Since the war began on Feb. 28, the State Department has advised citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East and Gulf, with nearly every country in the region under the two highest travel advisories.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
