Cruz calls on Princeton to address professor accused of supporting Iran, highlighting student safety concerns

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has urged Princeton University, his alma mater, to terminate the employment of a former high-ranking official of the Iranian regime. This call comes in response to allegations that the presence of the official, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, at the university is causing students to feel unsafe, especially given recent incidents of antisemitism on the campus.

Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who works as a Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University, has come under scrutiny and pressure from various quarters including members of Congress, Princeton students, and experts on antisemitism. There are concerns about his close ties to the Iranian regime and its involvement in activities such as terrorism and violence, which are unsettling for students and the broader university community.

“Mousavian’s association with the Iranian regime and its history of supporting terrorism and violence is deeply troubling. By retaining him on staff, Princeton University is prioritizing providing a platform for what Senator Cruz describes as pro-regime and anti-American narratives over the safety and well-being of its students. This move reflects an institutional bias that Senator Cruz believes is irresponsible and could jeopardize federal funding for the university,” reported Fox News Digital based on an exclusive statement from Ted Cruz.

An aerial shot of anti-Israel protesters at Princeton. (WTXF)

Gary Hughes, a spokesman for the University of Kent, told Fox News Digital, “Data protection principle also means that neither myself nor any other colleague across the University can disclose personal data about this or any other current or former student.” 

He said the university’s Freedom of Information (FOI) office can answer the request. The FOI office denied a request and later said after Fox News Digital appealed that, “We are currently conducting an internal review in relation to your request.” 

A British-Iranian man sought to obtain Mousavian’s Ph.D. in January, according to email correspondence obtained by Fox News Digital. Kent University’s Open Research team wrote in one email, “I am afraid we have no record of Mr. Seyed Hossein Mousavian’s thesis in the library catalogue.” Fox News Digital searches for Mousavian’s Ph.D. in American, British and German academic databases showed no results. 

The Swedish-Iranian author Iraj Mesdaghi told Fox News Digital that he sought to obtain Mousavian’s Ph.D. in 2013. The University of Kent declined to produce it. Mesdaghi wrote about the great lengths he went to in order to secure access to Mousavian’s alleged Ph.D. on his website, including contact with the FOI office. 

Shirley M. Tilghman, the former president of Princeton University when Mousavian was hired in 2009, declined to answer a press query about whether she vetted Mousavian and his alleged Ph.D. 

Fox News Digital press queries regarding Cruz’s comment to the Department of Education, the U.S. State Department and Leo Terrell, who heads the Trump administration’s task force on antisemitism, were not immediately answered.

Fox News Digital reporter Louis Casiano contributed to this report.