Iranology Center to Salehi: The Iranology Foundation is not a Hangout

The Iranology Center of the University of Tehran, in a letter to Ali Akbar Salehi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization and former foreign minister of the Islamic Republic, called for his resignation from the presidency of the Iranology Foundation. The letter states: "Historians, archaeologists, literary scholars, linguists, philosophers, cultural researchers, and all those who care for the country, who have dedicated their lives to the history and culture of Iran, still cannot believe your acceptance of this position." The members of the Iranology Center asked Salehi: "In which of these specialties and scientific groups do you fit that you have accepted such a position?" The signatories of the letter emphasized that they have become certain of the "indifference and unwillingness of the fourteenth government to the heritage and national identity of Iran" and accepted Salehi's appointment as a continuation of this spirit. However, they considered Salehi's acceptance of such a position as a cause for "discouragement of specialists in the field of Iranology and those concerned about the future of Iran." They also stated that this foundation "should be a haven for Iranologists in various fields, not a hangout for retirement or a waiting room for obtaining later positions." They urged Salehi to feel ashamed before "facing the cultural figures of Iran" and to say "no" to this appointment. Despite the protests regarding Salehi's lack of qualifications for the presidency of the Iranology Foundation, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution described Salehi's selection as a result of his "brilliant record in scientific and executive fields." The Iranology Foundation was established in 1997 by Mohammad Khatami and is under the supervision of the Iranian presidency. Mohammad Khamenei, the brother of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, was appointed as the head of this institution during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency after the death of Hassan Habibi, the first secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, who had held the presidency of the foundation from the beginning. This foundation identifies its responsibilities as studying the history, culture, art, and literature of Iran and interacting with Iranology centers around the world. Ali Akbar Salehi, former foreign minister of Iran and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, is an influential figure in the Islamic Republic and a proponent of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and Washington. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in February 2020 during Donald Trump's first presidency while he was head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and his name was placed on the U.S. SDN sanctions list. Ali Akbar Salehi, born in 1949 in Karbala, Iraq, holds a PhD in nuclear engineering from MIT in the United States. He served as the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 2009 to 2010. Before that, he was Iran's representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency until 2003. He also served as the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic from 2009 to 2012 during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's tenth government. Salehi returned to his previous position at the Atomic Energy Organization in August 2013, appointed by Hassan Rouhani. During Ebrahim Raisi's presidency, Salehi became the research deputy and vice president of the Academy of Sciences. He also taught at Sharif University of Technology for a time and held the presidency of this university for a period.