Cruz Urges Princeton To Take Action Over Professor Accused Of Pro-iran Allegiances, Citing Risk To Students

EXCLUSIVE – Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz called connected his alma mater, Princeton University, to disregard a erstwhile high-level Iranian authorities charismatic because he is allegedly making students consciousness unsafe amid caller outbreaks of antisemitism astatine nan New Jersey university.

The ex-official for nan Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who is simply a Middle East information and atomic argumentation specialist at nan university, is nether unit connected galore fronts from legislature representatives, Princeton students and experts connected antisemitism. 

"Mousavian is intimately linked to nan Iranian authorities and to nan regime’s campaigns of coercion and murder. His beingness astatine Princeton makes students consciousness justifiably acrophobic for their safety. Princeton’s determination to support employing him shows they attraction little astir their students, and much astir providing a level for pro-regime and anti-American propaganda. That benignant of reckless organization ideological bias is precisely why nan Trump management is reassessing national backing for Princeton," Cruz told Fox News Digital successful an exclusive statement.

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Students, immoderate module and outsiders gathered connected nan lawns extracurricular nan Princeton chapel to protestation Israel's subject run successful Gaza, April 25, 2024. (Mary Ann Koruth / Imagn)

Fox News Digital antecedently reported that Mousavian expressed support for nan U.S.-designated violent movements, Hamas and Hezbollah, and appeared to salary tribute to nan world Iranian violent Qassem Soleimani successful 2020 erstwhile he attended his funeral. 

President Donald Trump ordered a drone onslaught to destruct Soleimani successful January 2020 for his domiciled successful nan murders of complete 600 American subject unit successful nan Middle East and his readying of caller violent attacks.

Mousavian has declined to renounce his support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran's fatwa (religious decree) to assassinate nan British-American writer Salman Rushdie. 

A Hezbollah emblem was connected show during a Princeton student protestation encampment against Israel past year. The Iran-backed Hezbollah was responsible for a 1983 bombing that murdered 241 U.S. subject members successful Beirut.

Maximillian Meyer, president of Princeton Tigers for Israel, and an undergraduate astatine nan university, told Fox News Digital, "I commend Sen. Cruz for raising urgent concerns astir Princeton’s employment of Mousavian, whose profession has been defined by shilling for nan world’s starring authorities sponsor of terrorism. Credible reports linking Mousavian to nan oversight of Iranian dissident assassinations successful Europe – alongside his endorsement of nan fatwa connected Salman Rushdie – are profoundly alarming."

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Seyed Hossein Mousavian, , who was past caput of nan Iranian delegation, speaks to journalists astatine nan International Atomic Energy Agency, Nov. 29, 2004 successful Vienna. Mousavian is presently a Middle East information and atomic argumentation specialist at Princeton. (Robert Newald/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital first reported successful November 2023 that nan House Committee connected Education and nan Workforce launched an investigation into Mousavian's domiciled successful advancing nan interests of nan clerical authorities successful Tehran.

During Mousavian’s tenure arsenic Iran’s ambassador to Germany, he was successful complaint of nan embassy that a German tribunal recovered "served arsenic nan ‘headquarters’ for nan readying of the 1992 assassination of 4 Iranian dissidents astatine nan Greek edifice Mykonos successful Berlin."

However, nan erstwhile Iranian ambassador antecedently told Fox News Digital that "This accusation is simply a large lie," and "The 398-page verdict is published, and everyone tin person entree to it. The Berlin tribunal verdict does not incorporate immoderate nonstop aliases indirect allegations against me. German authorities ne'er forced maine to time off nan country.… I person been a predominant visitant to Germany."

Yet, Iranian dissidents and quality authorities experts uncovered grounds from Abolghasem Mesbahi, a erstwhile senior-level Iranian intelligence official, who told nan Berlin court during nan Mykonos trial, "Mousavian participated successful astir of nan [Iranian regime's] crimes that took spot successful Europe."

Mousavian did not respond to aggregate Fox News Digital property queries, WhatsApp messages and telephone calls for this article. 

Sen. Ted Cruz talks pinch reporters. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Meyer, nan Princeton undergraduate student, said, "Anyone who has served successful elder roles for nan repressive Islamic Republic of Iran poses a clear threat to American nationalist security. His continued employment astatine Princeton is simply a damning indictment of nan anti-Americanism festering wrong alleged ‘elite’ institutions."

Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber, who precocious said he would defy Trump’s efforts to extremity antisemitism via national backing cuts to nan able university, did not respond to Fox News Digital email property queries and telephone calls astir Mousavian.

Fox News Digital precocious reported that pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian agitators stormed a talk by erstwhile Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett astatine Princeton, sparking criticism from Jewish students astatine Princeton.

In a connection to Fox News Digital complete nan incident, Eisgruber said he was "appalled" astatine reports of antisemitic language used during Bennett's visit. He added, "Such behaviour is reprehensible and intolerable. The University is investigating and will prosecute disciplinary measures arsenic appropriate, to nan grade immoderate members of nan Princeton University organization are implicated."

Christopher Eisgruber, president of Princeton University, during an question and reply successful New York, connected Oct 11, 2023. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

It is unclear if Eisgruber suspended aliases expelled students who prevented Bennett from speaking. Mousavian has faced disapproval for stoking antisemitism since Hamas invaded Israel and slaughtered complete 1,200 people, including much than 40 Americans. Eisgruber has gone silent astir Mousavian’s actions.

A Fox News Digital introspection of Mousavian’s X relationship shows a precocious number of Persian and English posts attacking nan Jewish state, including comparing Israel pinch Nazi Germany. The comparison betwixt Israel and Nazi Germany is classified arsenic modern antisemitism, according to nan wide accepted meaning formulated by nan International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. 

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Rabbi Abraham Cooper, nan erstwhile chair of nan U.S. Commission connected International Religious Freedom and head of Global Social Action astatine nan Simon Wiesenthal Center, asked Eisgruber in a connection to Fox News Digital: Why does nan assemblage proceed to protect Mousavian astatine a clip of raging antisemitism and what is he still doing there? 

Cooper further asked, successful nan discourse of nan reported antisemitic mob onslaught connected Bennett and Mousavian’s alleged ties to nan murders carried retired by Iran’s regime, why can’t "the President of Princeton link nan dots"?

Anti-Israel protesters astatine Princeton disrupt a reside by erstwhile Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (Max Meyer/X)

Cooper said connected Eisgruber’s watch "It is simply a shameful section that must extremity nan correct way." Cooper accused Eisgruber of "stoic soundlessness aliases indifference to antisemitism" and "stonewalling" efforts to clasp Mousavian accountable for his alleged crimes and antisemitism. Cooper continued that Eisgruber owes it to Jewish students and faculty, Iranian-Americans, and Iranian dissidents to reply basal questions astir Mousavian.

Eisgruber has not obstructed immoderate rule enforcement efforts to analyse Mousavian’s alleged crimes.

Cooper besides called connected Princeton and Mousavian to taxable his Ph.D. for examination. Fox News Digital has learned that neither Princeton University nor nan University of Kent successful nan United Kingdom, wherever Mousavian allegedly obtained his Ph.D. successful 2002, were consenting to nutrient a transcript of his dissertation. 

Mousavian was nan caput of nan Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s National Security Council (1997-2005), according to his Princeton webpage.

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An aerial changeable of anti-Israel protesters astatine Princeton. (WTXF)

Gary Hughes, a spokesperson for nan University of Kent, told Fox News Digital, "Data protection rule besides intends that neither myself nor immoderate different workfellow crossed nan University tin disclose individual information astir this aliases immoderate different existent aliases erstwhile student." 

He said nan university’s Freedom of Information (FOI) agency tin reply nan request. The FOI agency denied a request and later said aft Fox News Digital appealed that, "We are presently conducting an soul reappraisal successful narration to your request." 

A British-Iranian man sought to get Mousavian’s Ph.D. successful January, according to email correspondence obtained by Fox News Digital. Kent University’s Open Research squad wrote successful 1 email, "I americium acrophobic we person nary grounds of Mr. Seyed Hossein Mousavian's thesis successful nan room catalogue." Fox News Digital searches for Mousavian’s Ph.D. successful American, British and German world databases showed nary results. 

The Swedish-Iranian writer Iraj Mesdaghi told Fox News Digital that he sought to get Mousavian’s Ph.D. successful 2013. The University of Kent declined to nutrient it. Mesdaghi wrote astir nan awesome lengths he went to successful bid to unafraid entree to Mousavian’s alleged Ph.D. connected his website, including interaction pinch nan FOI office. 

Shirley M. Tilghman, nan erstwhile president of Princeton University erstwhile Mousavian was hired successful 2009, declined to reply a property query astir whether she vetted Mousavian and his alleged Ph.D. 

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Fox News Digital property queries regarding Cruz’s remark to nan Department of Education, nan U.S. State Department and Leo Terrell, who heads nan Trump administration’s task unit connected antisemitism, were not instantly answered.

Fox News Digital newsman Louis Casiano contributed to this report.