Ahmad Hashemi is a naturalized U.S. citizen in northern Virginia with a unique background as a former Foreign Ministry linguist, pro-democracy activist, and a refugee from Iran. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Strategic Intelligence Studies at the Institute of World Politics (IWP). His experience also includes a research fellowship at the Hudson Institute, freelance journalism, and multilingual translation in Farsi, Arabic, Turkish, and Azerbaijani.
His work at Hudson focused on Iran, Azerbaijan, and Middle Eastern foreign policy issues. He has written for The Hill, National Interest, Washington Examiner, Jewish News Syndicate, the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post, Israel Hayom, BBC Persian, Al Arabiya, Iran International, and The Independent Persian, among other media outlets. He has also appeared as a commentator on the BBC Persian, VOA Farsi, Iran International, Bengu Turk TV, Indus TV, and Al Arabiya TV, among other outlets. Before joining Hudson, he worked at Gunaz TV as a political commentator, reporter, and producer.
Ahmad Hashemi can be reached at AHMADHASH (at) GMAIL.COM
A Unique Path to U.S. National Security
My journey as a linguist, pro-democracy activist, and refugee from Iran, coupled with my lived experiences across three countries and travels to over 30, has ignited a strong desire to contribute to U.S. national security. These experiences, combined with my analytical, writing, and linguistic skills, fuel my aspiration to serve the country I proudly call home.
I am actively seeking entry-level roles where I can leverage my diverse background and skills. My areas of interest include analyst, program manager, linguist, writer, investigator, and researcher positions. I am particularly interested in opportunities within the Department of Defense (DoD), State Department, international organizations, and contracting firms, as well as across the Intelligence Community, including the CIA, FBI, and NSA, and other three-letter agencies. Ideally, I’d like to find a position that aligns with my interests and allows me to continue my studies at the Institute of World Politics (IWP).
Navigating the U.S. Job Market
For someone like me, a refugee from Iran with no established connections, navigating the U.S. job market—especially in the highly competitive DMV area—presents a formidable challenge. I am from Iran, and if there is one thing that is more brutal and more discriminatory than the Iranian regime, that surely has to be the US career market for those who have no connections.
After applying for hundreds of entry-level analyst, translator, journalist, writer, and multimedia journalist positions without success, I’ve learned that securing quality employment often hinges on “who you know” (80 percent) rather than solely “what you know” (20 percent). While this reality can be frustrating, I’m determined to expand my professional network and create the connections necessary to succeed.
My expectations are straightforward: I simply want to contribute meaningfully to my country. While I don’t have personal connections in the field, I possess the right qualities and skills to serve. My clean background and clearable status are strong assets, with an active Public Trust and a Top-Secret Security Clearance currently in process. I’m open to any entry-level role, domestic or international, and approach every opportunity with humility and an open mind.
As a patriot, my foremost desire is to serve my country meaningfully. While my path to the U.S. armed forces was closed due to their age requirement, I’m now fully committed to a career in national security, particularly within intelligence agencies or similar fields. I’m confident my writing, analytical, political, and linguistic skills are a strong asset, and I’m eager to secure an entry-level position as I pursue my studies at IWP.
Ahmad Hashemi’s Story
Born in the Shiite heartland of Qom in Iran, Mr. Hashemi received a BA in political science from the University of Tehran and an MA in regional studies from the School of International Relations, affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2022, Ahmad Hashemi graduated from Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, located in Fairfax, Virginia, with a master’s degree in Defense and Strategic Studies. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence Studies at the Institute of World Politics, located in Washington, D.C.
In 2001, while studying at the University of Tehran, Ahmad started working as a freelance journalist. In 2008, Mr. Hashemi joined Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as a protocol department expert, translator, and interpreter. As MFA’s certified and vetted translator, Ahmad Hashemi attended numerous meetings participated by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and former IRGC Quds Force head, Qasem Soleimani, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, among other senior Iranian and foreign officials. This is the link to photos of some of those meetings: https://ahmadhashemi.net/photos/
While working for MFA, Ahmad Hashemi started actively attending the pro-democracy “Green Movement” protests and anti-regime rallies in 2009 and 2010. He was demoted in 2010 and was put on MFA’s internal watchlist due to his activism.
In 2012, Mr. Hashemi registered to run for the Majles (the Iranian Parliament) as an independent candidate but was disqualified. When he objected to the Guardian Council’s disqualification ruling, Mr. Hashemi was discharged from the MFA. He started working as a freelance journalist, but when faced with security threats, he decided to leave the country. He came to America as a refugee in late 2015 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021.
As a freelance journalist, Mr. Hashemi has authored hundreds of pieces in Persian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and English. He has written for The National Interest, The Hill, The Washington Examiner, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Israel Hayom, BBC-Persian Service, Al Arabiya, Iran International, and The Independent Persian, among other media outlets. He has also appeared as a commentator on the BBC Persian, Radio Farda (Radio Free Europe), VOA Farsi, Iran International, Bengu Turk TV (Turkey), Indus TV (Pakistan), and Al Arabiya TV (Saudi Arabia), among other outlets. Before joining Hudson, Mr. Hashemi worked for Chicago-based Gunaz TV as a political commentator, multimedia journalist, and producer.
Ahmad Hashemi’s works in English
Ahmad Hashemi generated hundreds of reports and analyses in Persian. Also, he has written tens of pieces in English. The following are some of his manuscripts in English, published at major US and Israeli media outlets:
Jewish News Syndicate– US
Iran’s ‘North Korea moment’ might happen via smaller, covert nuclear sites
Ahmad Hashemi – July 9, 2025
https://www.jns.org/writers/ahmad-hashemi/
The Hill – Washington DC
Iran is the main beneficiary of the Gaza crisis, but Israel can turn the tables
AHMAD HASHEMI, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 11/13/23
Soft power: Communist China’s linguistic expansion sweeps the Middle East
AHMAD HASHEMI, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 08/01/23
Iran just joined a pact with Moscow and Beijing — here’s what it means for the US
AHMAD HASHEMI, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR – 07/13/23
The National Interest – Washington, DC
Gas Attacks Reveal a War on Iranian Women
March 18, 2023 – Ahmad Hashemi
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/lebanon-watch/gas-attacks-reveal-war-iranian-women-206317
What Does China’s Iranian Consulate Mean for America?
January 19, 2023 – by Ahmad Hashemi
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/what-does-china%E2%80%99s-iranian-consulate-mean-america-206129
Can Diplomacy Alone Deter Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions?
January 31, 2022 – Ahmad Hashemi
Would Democracy Destroy Iran’s Persian Empire?
January 14, 2022 – Ahmad Hashemi
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/would-democracy-destroy-iran%E2%80%99s-persian-empire-199277
The Washington Examiner – Washington DC
How to curb the threat of Iranian drones
Ahmad Hashemi – March 17, 2023
Why Iran’s uprising is doomed to fail
Ahmad Hashemi – January 31, 2023
The Times of Israel – Israel
The dire consequences of America’s Iran-friendly strategy
Ahmad Hashemi – MAR 29, 2023
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-dire-consequences-of-americas-iran-friendly-strategy/
Warming Israel-Azerbaijan ties and the Iranian ire they stoke
Ahmad Hashemi – FEB 6, 2023
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/warming-israel-azerbaijan-ties-and-the-iranian-ire-they-stoke/
Anti-Semitism is why the Arab Spring failed
Ahmad Hashemi – APRIL 10, 2013
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/pro-semitisim-the-road-to-a-prosperous-democratic-middle-east/
Don’t be fooled: Iran wants the bomb
Ahmad Hashemi – JAN 17, 2013
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/while-iran-builds-its-holy-islamic-bomb/
Syria on the verge of massacre: the world must intervene
Ahmad Hashemi – DEC 13, 2012
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/syria-on-the-verge-of-massacre-the-world-must-intervene/
Israel Hayom – Israel
Iran’s weak spot – Azerbaijanis – serves Israel well
Ahmad Hashemi – 02-21-2023
https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/irans-weak-spot-serves-israel-well
Jerusalem Post – Israel
Extremists and conquerors of Syria’s war?
AHMAD HASHEMI – DECEMBER 24, 2012
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/op-ed-contributors/extremists-and-conquerors-of-syrias-war
Hudson Institute – Washington, DC
Ahmad Hashemi works with Hudson Institute on a freelance basis. He recently started producing his first monthly analytical newsletter for Hudson Institute titled ‘The View from Tehran’:
The View from Tehran | February 2024
Ahmad Hashemi
https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/view-tehran-iran-february-2024-ahmad-hashemi
Briefly, Ahmad Hashemi’s multimedia and journalistic experience can be summarized below:
Multimedia Journalist and Talk show Host
Guney Azerbaijan Television (Gunaz TV) – Chicago, USA
January 2020 – January 2021
He worked with Gunaz TV as a freelance multimedia journalist, producing daily multimedia packages (video clips) concerning the latest political developments in Iran and Azerbaijan. In addition, he hosted political talk shows and participated in programs as a political analyst to discuss regional and international developments in Iran and all around the globe.
Journalist and Reporter
Young Journalists Club – Tehran, Iran
March 2003 – February 2005
As a journalist, translator, and reporter at The Young Journalists Club (YJC), — which is affiliated with the state-run Iranian National Radio and Television Corporation (IRIB) – he conducted interviews, generated reports, and produced and translated hundreds of news stories.
Writer, Columnist, Contributor
Different Persian-language Newspapers
June 2003 – January 2020
In early 2000, he started writing Op-Eds and submitting articles to Shargh, Etemaad, Hamshahri, Hambastegi, and other Persian language newspapers and online news outlets inside and outside of Iran, as well as contributing to the Siasat-e Khareji (Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Journal of Foreign Policy).
BBC Persian Articles
The following is a list of some of Ahmad Hashemi’s articles published at the BBC’s Persian Service Website:
ISIS, Harbinger of Redrawing the New Middle East Map
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/06/140625_l44_nazeran_daesh_middle_east.shtml
Rouhani’s Trip to Turkey and Playing with Syria’s Card
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/06/140618_l44_nazeran_rohani_turkey_iran.shtml
Is Capital Punishment returning to Turkey?
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/05/140510_l44_nazeran_turkey_execution.shtml
Ten Wonders of Local Election in Turkey
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/04/140409_l44_nazeran_erdogan_elections_turkey.shtml
Role of Ethnicity, Religion, and Migrants in Turkey’s Elections
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/03/140318_l44_nazeran_elections_turkey.shtml
Erdogan’s Foreign Policy, From Neo-Ottomanism to Isolationism
http://www.bbc.com/persian/blogs/2014/01/140113_l44_nazeran_turky_erdogan_politics.shtml
Ahmad Hashemi, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Program at the Global Policy Institute (GPI). 