The daughter of a high-ranking Iranian official, who has openly condemned U.S. actions, has been dismissed from her faculty position at a prominent American university.
According to Emory University’s news outlet, the dean of the School of Medicine stated in a January 24 email that Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani’s employment with the university had been terminated.
Ardeshir-Larijani served as an assistant professor in the hematology and medical oncology department at Emory’s medical school.
The outlet noted that the announcement came after a demonstration where Iranian-American protesters assembled outside Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute to voice opposition to the university’s hiring of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani.
Her faculty profile on Emory’s website and her Emory Healthcare pages were also removed from the internet.
The nonprofit organization AAIRIA asserted that Ardeshir-Larijani had resided and been employed in the United States for a number of years.
The group further referenced her professional listing on Emory Healthcare’s official site, which identified a woman named Ardeshir-Larijani as a U.S.-trained hematologist-oncologist in active practice.
These allegations initially gained notice during a period of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, which followed the start of protests and reports of fatalities during a severe government crackdown beginning December 28.
Former President Donald Trump cautioned about possible U.S. retaliation.
In a January 2 post on Truth Social, Trump warned that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America “will come to their rescue,” adding, “we are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Trump’s comments elicited warnings from senior Iranian figures, who stated that any U.S. intervention would constitute a “red line.”
Ali Larijani posted on X that such actions would “[destabilize] the entire region” and “[destroy] American interests.”
“The American people must know that Trump is the one who started this adventure,” he wrote, “and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”
In response, AAIRIA called on U.S. authorities to examine the immigration and visa standing of Ardeshir-Larijani and her spouse.
The group pressed officials to assess if her ongoing stay in the U.S. complies with American law, national security concerns, and the principles of accountability and human rights, in a statement published online.
Republican Representative Buddy Carter of Georgia also demanded that Emory terminate Ardeshir-Larijani and that the state medical board withdraw her medical license.
Her dismissal occurred two weeks after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on her father, stating he “is responsible for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the Supreme Leader of Iran and has publicly called for Iranian security forces to use force to repress peaceful protesters,” while publicly defending the regime’s conduct.
Ali Larijani has historically characterized the United States as an adversarial nation.
A 2018 report brought to light what detractors call a double standard practiced by Iranian officials whose family members live or are employed in Western nations.
Digital has contacted the , the Department of Homeland Security, and Emory University seeking comment.