Abbas Abdi (born 1956/57 (AP 1335)) is one of Iran's most influential reformists. He was the first person to storm the United States embassy in Tehran, along with other students, during the early years of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. In the following years, he became a critic of the political establishment of Iran. He was a supporter of President Mohammad Khatami's reform plans, and one of the most influential figures in the reformist camp after 1997. He ran into legal trouble after the Invasion of Tehran University Dormatories (Kooye Daneshgah), in which the police attacked the dormitory of the university because of student protests following Abdi's article in Salam newspaper. Later he participating in a poll asking Iranians if they supported resuming government dialogue with the United States. When Abdi and the other pollsters pushed results reporting 75% in favor, they were jailed.1 Abdi spent several years in prison as a result.
