Princeton gave platform to Iranian nuclear negotiator—now he’s out
Former nuclear negotiator ends Princeton career as critics say he gave regime views Ivy League legitimacy.
Princeton remains under federal review for anti-Semitism complaints after funding freeze tied to student protests.
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat who spent years shaping Tehran’s nuclear policy before joining Princeton University, has stepped down after 15 years, closing a chapter marked by congressional scrutiny and concerns over his influence.
Mousavian, who led Princeton’s Program on Science and Global Security, retired June 1, according to the university’s official list of departing faculty. He confirmed the decision in an Aug. 10 X post, saying he stepped down at his “own request” and thanking Princeton for its “commitment to freedom of expression.”
Critics argue Princeton gave Mousavian a prestigious platform to amplify Tehran’s agenda.
In 2023, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce opened an inquiry into his role, and Sen. Ted Cruz pressed the university to cut ties. The National Association of Scholars also called for his removal, writing that “there is no place at Princeton for a mouthpiece of a hostile regime that actively works against American security.”
At Princeton, Mousavian authored multiple books advancing Tehran’s narrative. In Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir, he defended Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology and criticized Western responses.
His Iran and the United States: An Insider’s View on the Failed Past and the Road to Peace called for reconciliation and blamed Washington for decades of hostility.
In A Middle East Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction, he advocated regional disarmament with an emphasis on Israel’s arsenal, a position echoing Tehran’s talking points.
His more recent Religion and Nuclear Weapons linked Iran’s policy to Islamic ideology.
Mousavian also published op-eds in major outlets, including Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, repeatedly urging U.S. policymakers to engage Tehran and defend the 2015 nuclear deal. In Responsible Statecraft and Middle East Eye, he criticized American sanctions and cast Iran as a stabilizing force in the region.
His retirement comes as Princeton itself faces broader scrutiny over anti-Semitism.
In March, the Trump administration froze $210 million in federal funds after Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Zachary Marschall filed a civil rights complaint alleging the university failed to address harassment of Jewish students following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
The complaint, filed in January 2024, cited students’ rhetoric dismissing Hamas atrocities, including “raping, murdering, and kidnapping civilians.” Despite a federal investigation that began under President Biden and continues under Trump, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber has said the university will not alter policies in response to protests, citing academic freedom.
In April, 250 masked Students for Justice in Palestine demonstrators disrupted a campus event with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, shouting anti-Israel and anti-Jewish slurs, including calling Jewish students “inbreds.”
Mousavian’s exit ends one controversy, but Princeton remains under federal review for its response to anti-Semitism and campus protests.
Campus Reform has contacted Princeton University and Seyed Hossein Mousavian for comment. This article will be updated with any responses.
