A University of Washington (UW) professor has been stripped of his leadership position after making polarizing public statements regarding the ongoing war between Israel and Iran.
Aria Fani, an associate professor of Persian and Iranian studies, was recently removed from his role as the director of the Middle East Center at the Jackson School of International Studies. The university’s decision followed a March 18 newsletter Fani sent to a departmental listserv, in which he characterized Israel as the primary aggressor. In the newsletter, titled “More notes on the Iran war,” Fani reportedly claimed that Israel’s military actions indicate a desire to destroy the Iranian state entirely rather than just its leadership. He also dismissed long-standing concerns about Iran’s nuclear program as “BS.”
The University of Washington confirmed that while Fani will no longer head the Middle East Center, he remains an associate professor at the school. Daniel Hoffman, director of the Jackson School of International Studies, has stepped in to manage the center’s administrative duties for the time being.
Fani, who grew up in Iran and still has family in the country, has been a vocal critic of the conflict, which escalated following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in February. He has previously described the war as “unpopular” and “undemocratic,” arguing that military intervention destabilizes the region and inflicts undue suffering on civilians who are already oppressed by the Iranian regime.
The professor’s removal has sparked debate over academic freedom and the boundaries of institutional communication, particularly as the conflict continues to drive deep divisions within both the Iranian diaspora and the broader international community.
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