panel run by American Foreign Policy Council, titled "Understanding the Iranian Threat", along with James Woolsey, Ilan Berman, and Patrick Clawson. He is a writer and contributor for numerous English-language and Persian-language media entities. He also teaches Persian-language webinars on Quran'ic interpretation for Tavaana: E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society. Father's arrest On January 12, 2010, Mehdi Khalaji’s father, Mohammad Taghi Khalaji, was arrested in Iran. A report from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy stated that agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence, conducted a violent house search, confiscating personal files, books, letters, a computer, satellite receiver and the family's passports. Mehdi Khalaji's daughter's passport was among those confiscated. Khalaji's family was banned from leaving Iran. Views Khalaji has written an opinion piece in New York Times on why he is against Iran deal. Controversies In March 2019 Khalaji and his wife, Marjan Sheikholeslami Aleagha, were listed among the main suspects in the largest financial corruption case in Iranian history with a total amount of 6.7 billion euros. Khalaji and his wife are suspected that they made contracts with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil and gas company, Sepanir, and in order to bypass sanctions they used personal accounts which were used to embezzle money to United States and Canada. Publications Booklets Apocalyptic Politics: On the Rationality of Iranian Politics Through the Veil: The Role of Broadcasting in U.S. Public Diplomacy toward Iranians The Last Marja: Sistani and the End of Traditional Religious Authority in Shiism Books Natani (novel in Persian, published in Berlin by Nashr-e Gardoon) The New Order of the Clerical Establishment in Iran: Nazm-e Novin-e Rohaniat Dar Iran (Persian Edition)(Amazon link) References External links Mehdi Khalaji Expert Fellow Personal Website New York Times OP-ED Iranian translators Iranian bloggers Iranian emigrants to the United States People from Qom Tarbiat Modares University alumni 1973 births Living people Iranian Shia clerics Washington, D.C., Democrats Male bloggers 21st-century translators