College:
New College
Thesis Title:
Revolutionaries without Borders: A transnational history of the Iranian guerrilla movement (1963-1979)
Supervisor:
Dr Maryam Alemzadeh
Biography:
Before beginning my DPhil, I completed an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at St Antony’s College. I also hold a BA in Political Science and Near Eastern Languages and Civilisations from the University of Chicago, during which I undertook a year of study at Sciences Po Paris. I’ve taken part in and am soon to participate in various conferences, such as those hosted by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) and Middle East Studies Association (MESA). My most recent publication explores the relationship between the Iranian opposition and the Nasser government in the mid-1960s.
Outside of my studies, I am on the board of the UK-MENA network, which aims to link academics and young professionals in the UK to the Middle East, and the Oxford Iranian Society, which hosts cultural, social, and academic events related to Iran in the city.
I am also very passionate about linguistics and, in addition to English, I speak Persian, French, and Spanish fluently. I also have some proficiency in both Modern Standard Arabic and Portuguese.
Research interests:
I am primarily interested in the Iranian guerrilla movement, particularly how Iranian guerrilla activists formed ties with militants and governments across the region. I am also generally interested in both the lead-up to the 1979 Revolution and its immediate aftermath.
Recent publications:
Hashemipour, Ashkan. (2025) “Contingent resistance: the Liberation Movement of Iran-Abroad, Nasser’s Egypt and transnational guerrilla activism.” Middle Eastern Studies: 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2025.2517704
Hashemipour, Ashkan. (2024). “Secret Diplomacy and the Iranian Revolution: Evaluating the consequences of Khomeini’s engagement with the United States.” Oxford Middle East Review, 8(1), 11–31. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16533413
