Ahmad Hashemi is the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Program at the Global Policy Institute (GPI). He has a unique background as a former Iranian Foreign Ministry official, freelance journalist, and pro-democracy activist. Mr. Hashemi received a BA in Political Science from the University of Tehran and an MA in Regional Studies (American Studies) from the School of International Relations, affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2022, he graduated from Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies in Fairfax, Virginia, with a Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies. His professional experience includes a research fellowship at the Hudson Institute, where his work focused on Iran, Azerbaijan, and Middle Eastern foreign policy. As a freelance journalist, Mr. Hashemi has authored hundreds of pieces in Persian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and English for outlets such as The National Interest, The Hill, The Washington Examiner, JNS, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Israel Hayom, BBC Persian, Al Arabiya, Iran International, and The Independent Persian. Follow him on X @MrAhmadHashemi.