The American University of Beirut (AUB) said on Sunday it would switch to remote operations for two days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to target U.S.-affiliated universities in the Middle East, raising concerns across Lebanon’s education sector.

“Like many of you, we learned early this morning of threats issued against American universities in the region,” AUB President Fadlo Khuri said in a statement.

“At this time, we have no evidence of direct threats against our university, its campuses, or its medical centers,” he added. “At the same time, out of an abundance of caution, we will operate fully online on Monday and Tuesday, with the exception of essential personnel.”

Classes and exams will be conducted remotely during that period, the university said, emphasizing that the move was a precautionary measure.

The decision followed a statement by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard earlier on Sunday warning that American universities across the region could be targeted in retaliation for what it described as U.S. and Israeli strikes that had destroyed two universities in Iran.

“If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation, it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30,” the Guard said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

It also advised “all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region, and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay at least one kilometer away from campuses that could be targeted.

The warning comes as several U.S.-affiliated institutions operate campuses across the Middle East, including Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in the United Arab Emirates. In Lebanon, AUB is one of the most prominent such institutions, with its campus and medical center located in the heart of Beirut.

Amid heightened concern, AUB said all on-campus academic activities and exams would be suspended during the two-day period. “Our top priority has always been and will remain the safety of our community and those we serve,” Khuri said, urging “all parties, without exception, to spare educational institutions from their conflicts and refrain from targeting them.”

Another major U.S.-affiliated institution in Beirut, the Lebanese American University (LAU), said it had not received any official notification from Lebanese authorities regarding specific security threats and would continue operating in line with its announced academic and healthcare plans.

The developments come against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions. Lebanon has been drawn into the broader conflict since early March, after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel, triggering intensified hostilities.

Separately, explosions were reported in Tehran late Friday into Saturday, including at the University of Science and Technology in the northeastern part of the city, causing material damage but no reported casualties, according to media reports.

In Beirut, authorities also sought to calm public concern over aviation safety. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport dismissed what it described as a surge in misleading reports circulating in media and on social platforms, including claims that Beirut’s airport had been closed or that Lebanese airspace was under direct threat.

The ministry said Rafik Hariri International Airport was operating normally, with no decision to suspend flights or close airspace. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, no new flight cancellations had been recorded, with 12 flights operating as of 8:00 a.m. Sunday, indicating that activity was continuing as usual.

It also rejected claims that the airport was being used for non-civilian purposes as “completely unfounded,” adding that any reduction in flight numbers reflects broader regional disruptions affecting multiple airports rather than a Lebanon-specific issue.

The ministry said it was closely coordinating with aviation authorities and security agencies to ensure the airport’s continued operation as a vital link between Lebanon and the outside world, while urging the public and media to rely on official sources and avoid spreading inaccurate information.