US university removes senior Iranian security official’s daughter after sanctions on father

Emory University has terminated the employment of Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, daughter of a senior Iranian security official recently sanctioned by the United States, the university confirmed as per local reports.

In a brief statement issued to Iran International, the university’s Winship Cancer Institute said that a physician who is the daughter of a high-ranking Iranian government figure is no longer employed there. The university declined to provide further details, citing confidentiality rules related to personnel matters.

The decision comes days after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. According to US authorities, Larijani played a coordinating role in the state’s response to nationwide protests and publicly urged security forces to use force against demonstrators acting on behalf of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

While Emory did not explicitly link Fatemeh Larijani’s dismissal to the sanctions, the university emphasized that all hiring and employment practices are conducted in compliance with federal and state laws.

Prior to her removal, Ardeshir Larijani served as an assistant professor in hematology and medical oncology at Emory’s medical school. Her academic work focused on immune resistance mechanisms and new therapeutic targets in lung cancer. Her professional profile has since been removed from the university’s website.

Political pressure had mounted in recent days. US Representative Buddy Carter sent formal letters to Emory and the Georgia Composite Medical Board, calling for her dismissal and the review of her medical license. Carter argued that close familial ties to a sanctioned Iranian security official raised concerns related to patient safety, institutional integrity, and national security.

The move also followed a protest by members of the Iranian diaspora outside the Winship Cancer Institute, where demonstrators demanded her removal, citing her father’s alleged role in the violent suppression of protests in Iran.

Emory University has not indicated whether further actions are under consideration.