Georgetown University has placed Jonathan A.C. Brown, a tenured professor of Islamic studies, on administrative leave and removed him as chair of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies after he wrote on X that he "hoped" Iran would carry out a “symbolic strike” on a U.S. military base. Interim President Robert M. Groves disclosed the disciplinary action on 15 July while testifying before the House Education and Workforce Committee during a hearing on antisemitism in higher education. Groves told lawmakers the post was condemned within minutes, the dean contacted Brown, and an internal review of the incident is under way. Brown’s original 22 June message came two days after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and shortly before Iran fired missiles at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He later deleted the post, saying it had been misinterpreted, and stated that his intent was to encourage de-escalation, noting that he has close relatives in the U.S. military. The tweet drew sharp criticism from conservative commentators and pro-Israel groups, who said the professor appeared to call for violence against American troops. Civil-rights organisation CAIR and other advocates have urged Georgetown to reinstate Brown, arguing the university acted on a politically motivated mischaracterisation of his remarks. Georgetown has not indicated when its review will conclude.