UW professor claims he was removed as director over comments on Israel, Iran War
Apr 3, 2026, 8:51 AM | Updated: 1:35 pm
The UW sign at the University of Washington. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A professor at the University of Washington (UW) believes he was removed from a director position over comments he made about Israel and the Iran war.
Dr. Aria Fani, an outspoken critic of the war, has publicly shared his views on the ongoing Iranian conflict several times, including in an interview with KIRO Newsradio earlier this month.
“It’s just Groundhog Day in America. That’s what it feels like every day, brand new excuses,” Fani said before mockingly adding, “But this time will be different. This time will be different.”
According to Fani, he believes he was terminated because of sending emails, reaching 2,000 words long, in which he called Zionism “cancerous.”
“Yes, I was fired for improper use of the listserv. I sent out two memos about this atrocious war on Iran in which I offered historical analysis that’s lacking in the media,” Fani wrote in an email confirming his firing. “I was told that my email made ‘certain constituents feel attacked.’ By certain constituents, I assume the university means Zionists who would like to keep bombing every Middle Eastern country and continue dehumanizing their people.”
In addition to being a professor, Fani was the director of the university’s Middle East Center. While he has been removed from the director role, he is still employed as a teacher.
He additionally added that his termination coincidentally came after UW President Robert Jones met with Ari Hoffman, a right-wing local media personality.
“Hoffman specifically asked Jones about the Middle East Center under my leadership (why the university didn’t stop an event I put out that Hoffman — without proof — labeled as antisemitic),” Fani wrote.
“President Jones had no role in, or knowledge of, the end of this administrative appointment,” UW wrote in response to Fani’s email.
UW stated it won’t comment further on the matter, claiming personnel matters are private.
“Fani remains an associate professor at the university,” UW wrote in a prepared statement. “Out of respect for employee privacy and confidentiality, the university chooses not to discuss the circumstances surrounding individual employment outcomes. Employment decisions are based on the requirements of the position and university expectations.”
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