In a stunning turn of events, the University of Arkansas has terminated a professor for allegedly misusing school resources to support a controversial cause tied to the Iranian regime.
According to the Daily Mail, the story centers on Shirin Saeidi, a 45-year-old former head of the Middle East Studies program, who was fired on a recent Friday after public backlash over her actions and statements criticizing Israel while praising Iran’s leadership.
Saeidi, once a prominent figure at the university, found herself under scrutiny for reportedly using official university letterhead to advocate for the release of Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official convicted in Sweden for his role in the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners.
Nouri, who was later freed in a prisoner swap, became a focal point of Saeidi’s advocacy, drawing sharp criticism from groups like the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA).
AAIRIA launched a petition, amassing over 3,800 signatures, demanding the university investigate Saeidi and end her employment for what they saw as a breach of academic integrity.
The petition didn’t mince words, stating, “These actions have severely undermined the credibility of the University of Arkansas by violating fundamental academic and ethical norms,” as reported by The New York Post.
That same letterhead, allegedly used improperly, was shared with The New York Post, which then forwarded it to Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, for comment.
Huckabee responded with a pointed critique, saying, “Praising the Iranian leader - who calls not only for the slaughter of Jews but also calls for the destruction of America - makes me think this deranged professor would probably be better suited to being given a one-way ticket to Tehran,” as quoted by The New York Post.
While Huckabee left the final decision to university officials, his words reflect a broader conservative concern about ideological extremism creeping into academia—a trend many on the right find alarming.
Beyond the letterhead issue, Saeidi’s social media activity on her now-suspended X account added fuel to the controversy, as she openly praised Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
She also took a hardline stance against Israel, with posts that some saw as crossing a line from criticism into advocacy for dismantling an allied state. The university, responding to the uproar, confirmed to The New York Post that Saeidi is no longer employed and promised a thorough investigation into the misuse of official resources.
Some might argue Saeidi’s right to free speech was stifled, especially given her past comments to the New York Times about Arkansas laws that require contractors to pledge against boycotting Israel, which she saw as limiting pro-Palestinian discourse.
Yet, when personal views are amplified using an institution’s name, it’s no longer just about free speech—it’s about accountability and the potential to drag a public university into a geopolitical quagmire.
For conservatives wary of progressive overreach in education, Saeidi’s dismissal sends a message: academic freedom doesn’t mean a free pass to push divisive agendas on a university’s dime, though the debate over where to draw that line remains a thorny one.