By Trendsetter Tribune 
Emory University has dismissed a medical school faculty member who is the daughter of one of Iran’s most powerful officials, following new U.S. sanctions tied to Tehran’s violent crackdown on protesters.
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an assistant professor at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, is the daughter of Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Emory confirmed over the weekend that she is no longer employed by the university but declined to provide details, citing personnel rules.
The move came roughly two weeks after the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Ali Larijani, accusing him of coordinating the Iranian regime’s response to mass protests and publicly calling for force against demonstrators. Treasury officials said Larijani played a key role in directing security forces during the unrest.
While Emory did not explicitly link Ardeshir-Larijani’s dismissal to the sanctions, the university said its employees are hired in compliance with all state and federal laws.
Her presence at Emory had drawn sharp criticism from Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, who publicly urged the university to fire her and called on the state medical board to revoke her license. Carter argued that her family ties raised national security and public trust concerns. Protests later followed outside Emory’s cancer institute demanding her removal.
Ali Larijani is a longtime power broker in Iran, having served as parliamentary speaker for more than a decade and previously holding senior security posts. He was recently appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of one of the deadliest crackdowns in Iran in decades. Protests that erupted late last year over economic collapse were met with widespread force. Human rights groups estimate more than 5,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands arrested, figures the Iranian government disputes.
For Emory, the episode highlights how international sanctions and foreign political crises can ripple into U.S. institutions — especially when global politics collide with academia and medicine.