Rouzbeh Parsi, the director of the Middle East program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), has stepped down following months of public scrutiny and institutional pressure over his connections to a covert influence network tied to the Iranian regime.

Parsi’s resignation follows reports concerning his ties to the Iranian regime and the “Iranian Experts Initiative,” a regime-orchestrated network launched by then Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to advance Tehran’s strategic narratives in Western policy circles.

Swedish broadcaster TV4 broke the story last winter and reported that Parsi had been involved with the “Iranian Experts Initiative.” According to TV4’s earlier exposé, leaked Iranian Foreign Ministry documents revealed that Parsi participated in meetings organized and funded by the regime and coordinated messaging with high-level Iranian diplomats.