The UAE has expelled 2,500 Iranian students and shut down Iranian government-run schools operating in the country, Iran's education ministry spokesman Ali Farhadi said on March 19, IRNA reported.

The move marks a sharp deterioration in relations between Tehran and Abu Dhabi, with the expulsions coming as Iranian missile and drone strikes continue to hit the UAE.

Farhadi said the UAE had revoked the operating licences of Iranian schools in Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, which had been running for more than 50 years. Teaching staff were also expelled alongside the students.

Iran has filed formal complaints with UNESCO and ICESCO, arguing that denying children the right to education violates international conventions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will never forget the UAE's actions in aligning with the recent aggression by America and the Zionist regime against our country," Farhadi said. He accused the UAE of "targeting the learning and education of students and walking the path of enmity against Iranian children."

Iran said it was making arrangements for affected students to continue their studies remotely through educational centres in Oman.

Farhadi also disclosed that 206 students and teachers have been killed in Iran since the war began on February 28, and 120 schools have sustained partial or total damage. Education has been conducted online since the start of the conflict and a decision on whether to resume in-person classes after the Nowruz holiday will be taken based on conditions at the time.

The expulsion of Iranian nationals from the UAE adds to a broader pattern of deteriorating ties between Iran and Gulf states. Qatar expelled Iranian military and security attaches on March 18 after the IRGC struck the Ras Laffan LNG complex.