University of Chicago professor calls Iranian missiles ‘best and only hope’ for peace
A professor at the University of Chicago posted to social media that the best hope for 'peace' is in the 'power' of Iran’s missiles.
'At this point the best and only hope for peace is the power and durability of Iranian missiles,' Alireza Doostdar posted to X on June 17.
A professor at the University of Chicago posted to social media that the best hope for “peace” is in the “power” of Iran’s missiles.
“At this point the best and only hope for peace is the power and durability of Iranian missiles,” Alireza Doostdar posted to X on June 17. The professor posted the message in response to video footage of an “Iranian hypersonic missile attack” against an Israeli base in Tel Aviv.
At this point the best and only hope for peace is the power and durability of Iranian missiles. https://t.co/eWgRE3OpNx
— Alireza Doostdar علیرضا دوستدار (@docstobar) June 17, 2025
Doostdar is a member of UChicago’s Faculty for Justice in Palestine group and his brother is a convicted Iranian spy, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon. Specifically, Doostdar’s brother was sentenced to more than three years in prison for espionage in California and Illinois.
The professor was previously arrested during a pro-Palestine protest in November 2023.
Doostdar is an associate professor of Islamic Studies and the Anthropology of Religion at UChicago. In January 2024, he authored an article, which has been published on UChicago’s website, titled “Witnessing Genocide” in which he repeatedly accused Israel of perpetrating genocide in Gaza.
“For decades, Palestinian journalists have documented Israeli atrocities and the oppression of Palestinians with the hope that this documentation can help advance their cause for liberation,” Doostdar wrote.
On his X account, Doostdar has advertised for pro-Palestine protests and stated, “F**k Israel. Today and every day.” His X biography reads, “free palestine.”
Fuck Israel. Today and everyday.
— Alireza Doostdar علیرضا دوستدار (@docstobar) June 13, 2025
In response to a Campus Reform request for comment, the professor stated that, “You are a sad, racist outfit and I am glad you are wasting pixels on this non-story rather than attending to more important issues, where you could do real damage.”
In August 2024, Campus Reform reported that Doostdar denied that there exists a connection between the anti-Israel protests in the U.S. and the Iranian government.
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“This is an allegation made by authoritarian states, when they frequently label protests as foreign conspirators, like what we see in Iran,” Doostdar said. “What I see here at our university, the protests are very inclusive and diverse.”
“In the U.S.,” he added, “anti-Semitism exists among the fascists, but I have not seen anti-Semitism in the student movements.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Chicago for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
