PHOENIX — While Arizona State University's police chief awaits a university review of his handling of pro-Palestinian protests in the spring, a verdict of sorts is in from an unexpected place - the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Chief Michael Thompson has been hit with financial sanctions for a "flagrant violation of human rights by suppressing pro-Palestine student protest movement," according to a statement posted July 4 on the Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site.
Thompson is one of 11 law-enforcement leaders nationwide slapped with the largely meaningless sanctions. They prohibit travel to Iran (already off-limits to Americans) and financial transactions in the Islamic state (also off-limits).
But according to a national security expert at ASU, the sanctions shouldn't be ignored.
"It's obviously a message," said Daniel Rothenberg, a professor and co-director of ASU's Future Security Initiative.
"They want to send out a message to the world of where they stand, and how they understand these college protests related to the war in Gaza. So it's symbolic and not substantive."
Thompson was placed on paid administrative leave two months ago while the university reviews complaints about his officers' actions in breaking up protests and an encampment at the Tempe campus.
The university declined to comment Tuesday on the sanctions. Thompson couldn't be reached for comment.
"I'd like to think that the authorities are taking it seriously and providing reasonable protection and good communication," Rothenberg said.
"It would be hard not to be a little concerned, particularly in this world of possible cyber attacks and other ways of harming people."
Iran is a state sponsor of terrorist groups, including Hamas, which launched the war against Israel in October.
Biden official: Iran helping protests
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden's top intelligence advisor warned that the Iranian government was funneling financial support to the protests.
In a statement on "recent Iranian influence efforts," Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said:
"In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we've seen other actors use over the years. We have observed actors tied to Iran's government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters."
Haines didn't provide any specifics on financial help for the protests.
DNI statement 'a big deal'
"It's a big deal for the DNI to release a statement like this," Rothenberg said.
"It's not a body that's constantly making public statements the way, say, the FBI is about certain things."
But Rothenberg said the DNI statement shouldn't be taken as a rebuke of people who protest in good faith.
"So much of what we see in the protests related to the war in Gaza is are clearly an upsurge of genuine interest and concern for the suffering that's going on there," he said.
"The fact that there may also be Iranian agents involved and seeking to influence this doesn't diminish the legitimacy of those protests, and the fact that so many people involved in them are are not at all related to Iran or supporters of Hamas."
72 protesters await decision
The 72 people arrested at the end of April during the Tempe protest still await a charging decision by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
An MCAO spokeswoman said Tuesday that County Attorney Rachel Mitchell was reviewing charging recommendations from ASU police.
According to David Chami, an attorney representing several students who were arrested, all remain suspended by ASU and are unable to register for the fall semester that starts next month.
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