According to Mohammad-Ali Jafariyeh, director of Sales Publishing, Ashtari had been battling cancer in recent years, but the cause of death was reported as cardiac arrest.
Ashtari was widely recognized for his extensive body of translations focused on contemporary history, politics, and totalitarian regimes.
He began his career in the early 1980s translating for arts and film magazines and later contributed as a film critic, notably for Donya-ye Tasvir.
Over four decades, Ashtari translated numerous influential works including The Young Stalin, Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, The Harem of Qaddafi, Mao, and Aquariums of Pyongyang.
His signature books became a staple for Persian-speaking readers seeking critical perspectives on history and authoritarianism.
His final published work, Silence as a Weapon, chronicled the life and death of Soviet writer Isaac Babel and was released in March 2025.
Ashtari is remembered as a pivotal figure in Iranian intellectual circles, credited with enriching public understanding of 20th-century political history.
