Prof denies Iranian influence over anti-Israel campus protests despite evidence to the contrary
University of Chicago Professor Alireza Doostdar recently denied connections between the Iranian government and anti-Israel protests on American college campuses.
Last month, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines claimed Iran had funded anti-Israel protests in the U.S.
Alireza Doostdar, a professor at the University of Chicago, recently denied connections between the Iranian government and anti-Israel protests on American college campuses.
When confronted by an interviewer earlier this year with the possibility that “foreign interference” had led to campus protests, Doostdar described the prospect as a “ridiculous claim.”
“This is an allegation made by authoritarian states, when they frequently label protests as foreign conspirators, like what we see in Iran,” Doostdar said. “What I see here at our university, the protests are very inclusive and diverse.”
“In the U.S.,” the professor continued during the interview, “anti-Semitism exists among the fascists, but I have not seen anti-Semitism in the student movements.”
During the 2024–25 school year, Doostdar will teach a class that will touch on “Zionist settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.”
Doostdar’s brother is a convicted Iranian spy. “It came as no surprise for me when I first heard that his brother was arrested for conspiracy, or when he claims that Iran is not funding these protests,” a UChicago student said about Doostdar.
”What does surprise me is that the school has done nothing about it,” the student added.
Earlier this year, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei published a letter addressed to American college students protesting against Israel, expressing his support for their activism.
“Dear university students in the United States of America, this message is an expression of our empathy and solidarity with you. As the page of history is turning, you are standing on the right side of it,” Khamenei wrote. “You have now formed a branch of the Resistance Front and have begun an honorable struggle in the face of your government’s ruthless pressure—a government which openly supports the usurper and brutal Zionist regime.”
Last month, a leading U.S. national security official claimed Iran had funded anti-Israel protests in the U.S.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated that “Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, as we have seen them do in the past, including in prior election cycles.”
“In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years,” Haines continued. “We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.”
Campus Reform has contacted Professor Alireza Doostdar and the University of Chicago for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
