Ali Reza Nourizadeh (Persian: علیرضا نوری‌زاده, born 24 June 1949 in Tehran)[1] is an Iranian scholar, literary figure, journalist, political activist and an expert on Iranian contemporary history.[2][3]

Nourizadeh on Voice of America, 2011

Career

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Nourizadeh is a political refugee from Iran. After fleeing to the United Kingdom, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of London in International Relations. He is a monarchist.

Nourizadeh himself has been active in the Iranian journalistic milieu since 1967.[4] Before Iranian Revolution, he was editor of Ettela'at,[5] a strongly pro-Shah Iranian newspaper.

After Ali-Reza Pahlavi, the youngest son of the Shah killed himself in 2011 in Boston, Nourizadeh called it "a tragedy for the Iranian people".[5]

He is a senior researcher and director at the Centre for Arab & Iranian Studies strongly opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.[6]

Nourizadeh is also a correspondent for Deutsche Welle, a Political Commentator for the radio channel Voice of America, a senior writer for the London-based Saudi-owned newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.[7][8]

In June 2013, three days after Hassan Rouhani was elected as President of Iran, Israeli news website Ynetnews reported Nourizadeh's claim that Rouhani's son "committed suicide in protest at his father's close connection with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei".[9]

Assassination attempt

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Ali Reza Nourizadeh was targeted by Iranian national Mohammad Reza Sadeqinia in 2009 while visiting the British capital, according to a cable from the US embassy in Grosvenor Square.[10]

Sadeqinia attempted to hire a hitman to assassinate Iranian-American broadcaster Jamshid Sharmahd, and as a result, he was detained in California on suspicion of soliciting murder. The FBI alerted UK authorities to the threat since his conduct toward Nourizadeh was consistent with his interactions with Sharmahd, and Nourizadeh was subsequently warned. The threat materialized as a result of Nourizadeh's anxiety, which led him to inform the US embassy about his interactions with Sadeqinia.[11]

Personal life

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Nourizadeh is also the father of director Nima Nourizadeh, director of the 2012 film Project X and the 2015 film American Ultra, and electronic music producers Omid 16B and Navid.[12][13]

Works and publications

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  • 1970 - Dar Parvandehaye Ghatlhaye Zanjirei (Farsi Edition)
  • Nourizadeh, Alireza (1996). Ba Khoon-e Del Neveshtam. p. 482. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  • 2001 - Sounaye Zafaraniyeh (Farsi Edition)
  • Nourizadeh, Alireza (2002). Fallahian Mardi Baraye Hame-ye Janayat. p. 189. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  • Nourizadeh, Alireza (2012). Folks of Amirieh: Bacheh-Haye Amirieh. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-780-83065-0. Retrieved 26 April 2023. (Persian Edition)

See also

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References

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