Location: Yemen
In a move that has drawn sharp criticism and alarm, Clare Daly, an Irish politician with Independents 4 Change and former EU Parliament member, not only attended but actively supported the Houthi rebels during a rally in Yemen—a group widely recognized as terrorists. At the same event, American pro-Kremlin social media influencer Jackson Hinkle added his controversial voice, openly declaring, "I am so honored to be here," and arguing that "America and the Zionist entity fear Yemen more than anyone else, because the people of Yemen fear nobody but God." Hinkle's statements at the Quds Day rally echoed Daly's dangerous rhetoric as she praised the Houthis for standing against what she termed American and Israeli "terrorism." Daly went further, expressing her intent to "emulate your actions in our countries, and spread the word for real solidarity for Palestine, and standing up against the Zionist settler colonial regime of Israel," thereby aligning herself with extremism.
United States
A firestorm has erupted at Georgetown University after Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, was arrested and now faces deportation for his open support of Hamas and direct ties to the terrorist organization. According to federal authorities and reports by the Middle East Forum, Suri not only spread Hamas propaganda online—defending the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israeli civilians—but also had personal ties to the terror group through his marriage to Mapheze Ahmad Yousef Saleh, the daughter of senior Hamas official Ahmed Yousef, who served as an adviser to slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Suri's arrest, carried out under provisions of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, followed years of activity promoting antisemitism and Hamas messaging, including a video justifying the kidnapping of Israeli children and posts insisting that Hamas “must sustain its resistance.” While Georgetown officials dismissed the arrest as “McCarthyism,” critics praised the move as long overdue. “The American people deserve universities free from terrorist sympathizers,” said Anna Stanley of the Middle East Forum. “This deportation sends a strong message: those who support terror will find no sanctuary in our institutions.”
Location: Sweden
Amid rising concerns over foreign influence in Western intellectual circles, Rouzbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East Program at the Swedish Institute for International Policy, finds himself at the center of controversy. Implicated in the "Iranian Experts Initiative" directed by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parsi is accused of participating in efforts to sway Western discourse in favor of the Iranian regime. Leaked documents reveal his attendance at secretive meetings led by Iran's former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, sparking intense debate about academic integrity and potential conflicts of interest. Parsi defends his involvement as scholarly curiosity, stating to TV4 Nyheterna, "It's about trying to read between the lines... to see what they hear, how they reason, what could be behind a formulation." This scandal raises critical questions about the balance between intellectual engagement and susceptibility to state-sponsored propaganda, prompting Swedish MP Nima Gholam Ali Pour to demand accountability: “Such a person cannot and should not work for an organization funded by the Swedish state. This should have been looked into a long time ago." Parsi's case underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining scholarly impartiality in a world fraught with global informational warfare.
Location: United States
Amid rising concerns over foreign influence in Western intellectual circles, Rouzbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East Program at the Swedish Institute for International Policy, finds himself at the center of controversy. Implicated in the "Iranian Experts Initiative" directed by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parsi is accused of participating in efforts to sway Western discourse in favor of the Iranian regime. Leaked documents reveal his attendance at secretive meetings led by Iran's former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, sparking intense debate about academic integrity and potential conflicts of interest. Parsi defends his involvement as scholarly curiosity, stating to TV4 Nyheterna, "It's about trying to read between the lines... to see what they hear, how they reason, what could be behind a formulation." This scandal raises critical questions about the balance between intellectual engagement and susceptibility to state-sponsored propaganda, prompting Swedish MP Nima Gholam Ali Pour to demand accountability: “Such a person cannot and should not work for an organization funded by the Swedish state. This should have been looked into a long time ago." Parsi's case underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining scholarly impartiality in a world fraught with global informational warfare.
Location: United States
In a plot that reads like a dark comedy of errors, Khaled Mehdiyev—a 27-year-old Azerbaijani immigrant working at a Brooklyn pizza shop—pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate prominent Iranian-American journalist and regime critic Masih Alinejad on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hired by mobsters Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, who allegedly received their orders from IRGC Brigadier General Ruhollah Bazghandi, Mehdiyev’s bungled hit included loitering outside Alinejad’s house for days, ordering food while staking her out, and even running a stop sign that led to his arrest. When grilled in court, defense attorney Elena Fast asked mockingly, “As you’re coordinating an international kidnapping, you’re also working at a pizza shop?” to which Mehdiyev flatly replied, “That’s correct.” His texts to Alinejad, shown in court—such as “U the best journalist” and “Do u can help for that?”—only added to the absurdity of the failed plot. In March 2025, Mehdiyev formally pleaded guilty to attempted murder and firearms charges and began cooperating with federal authorities. He faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. That same month, Amirov and Omarov were convicted on charges including murder-for-hire and racketeering; they are scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2025. The case once again highlights how the Iranian regime uses criminal gangs to silence dissidents—even if it means relying on amateurish thugs with pizza shifts.
