Leaked documents tie Iranian-Swedish scholar to Tehran’s influence network
The director of the Swedish Institute for International Policy has been linked to a Tehran-directed influence network, according to a Swedish TV investigation relying on emails provided by Iran International.
The Swedish TV channel, TV4 Nyheterna, reported on Tuesday that Rouzbeh Parsi, the head of the Middle East program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), communicated with authorities in Tehran who actively sought to amplify official Iranian foreign policy talking points in Western policy circles.
The discussions, TV4 reported, aimed to shape Western perceptions of Iran during critical nuclear negotiations.
TV4 said Parsi had held meetings with Iranian diplomats, including former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and worked alongside senior figures who were closely affiliated with the IRGC.
In 2023, a joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor combed through thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, revealing a network of academics and think tank analysts cultivated by Iran's foreign ministry to extend Tehran's soft power.
Members of the grouping, called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), were guided by Iran's Foreign Ministry in their public writing and media appearances. They were key voices in Western think tanks and policy institutions helping promote Iran's stances.
Parsi, listed in the leaked emails as an IEI member, attended its inaugural meeting in May 2014 at Vienna’s Palais Coburg hotel, coinciding with nuclear talks. Documents indicate that Iran’s foreign ministry covered the event’s costs.
While Parsi acknowledges his participation, he denies collaborating with Tehran.
“My purpose was to observe how Iranian officials reason and act in real-time,” he told TV4.
The leaked emails revealed that IEI members, including prominent Iranian-American scholars like Ali Vaez and Ariane Tabatabai, published articles supporting official Iranian positions.
In a 2015 email to Iranian officials, Khatibzadeh, a senior Iranian diplomat who helped mastermind the IEI, referred to participants as “our friends” and shared links to their work which aligned with Iran’s narrative on nuclear negotiations.
Khatibzadeh was appointed on Saturday as the head of the foreign ministry's think tank, the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS).
The IEI’s activities have drawn scrutiny, particularly regarding figures like Tabatabai, who held senior positions within the US Department of Defense.
