# Iranian legislative debate over foreign influence bill > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/iranian-legislative-debate-over-foreign-influence-bill > Updated: 2026-09-20T21:13:34.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2. Iranian officials and academic leaders have raised concerns regarding a proposed legislative plan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly titled ‘Countering Foreign Influence in the Country’. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned that the bill could damage scientific progress by discouraging university professors from international collaborations due to fears of espionage charges. Aref noted that Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had promised to remove the bill from the agenda, suggesting that if it remains, the matter should be referred to the Expediency Discernment Council. Masoud Tajrizi, President of Sharif University of Technology, echoed these warnings, stating that the plan could impose excessive bureaucratic requirements for verifying international activities. Tajrizi cautioned that such measures might lead to scientific isolation by reducing international academic interactions to near zero. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-20: Sharif University President warns of scientific isolation Sharif University President Masoud Tajrizi warns that a proposed Iranian parliamentary plan to combat foreign influence could lead to scientific isolation and stifle international academic cooperation. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sharif-university-president-warns-of-scientific-isolation ### 2026-08-24: Iran's First Vice President warns against foreign influence bill Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned that a proposed bill to counter foreign influence could stifle scientific research and discourage academic collaboration with international universities. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/irans-first-vice-president-warns-against-foreign-influence-bill --- Cite as: Iranian legislative debate over foreign influence bill. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/iranian-legislative-debate-over-foreign-influence-bill