Jump to content

National Iranian American Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Iranian American Council
FoundersTrita Parsi, Babak Talebi, Farzin Illich
EstablishedJanuary 2002 (2002-01)
PresidentJamal Abdi
Location
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Websitewww.niacouncil.org

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC; Persian: شورای ملی ایرانیان آمریکا) is a lobby dedicated to the pursuit of what it describes as the interests of Iranians and Iranian Americans.

NIAC's first president, Trita Parsi, is the group's co-founder. As of 2018, the organization's president was Jamal Abdi.[1] NIAC Action PAC is its affiliated political action committee and was formed in 2015.[2]

NIAC has lobbied against the initiation of military conflicts by the United States against Iran and for an end to sanctions on Iran. It supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement between Iran and the United States in 2015 that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for Iran's pledge not to develop a nuclear weapon. NIAC's activities have been controversial, with various political figures and commentators, as well as some members of the Iranian diaspora, labeling it a front for the Iranian government.[3][4] NIAC members dispute the accusations, citing their criticism of the Iranian government's human rights abuses.

History

[edit]

NIAC was founded in 2002 by Trita Parsi, Babak Talebi, and Farzin Illich to promote Iranian-American relations.[5]

Obama administration

[edit]

During the Obama administration, NIAC advocated for the Iran nuclear deal, along with J Street and the Arab American Institute.[6] The deal stated that the US would ease sanctions on Iran in exchange or Iran reducing its nuclear program. The Congressional publication, The Hill, cited the work of NIAC, J Street, and the Arms Control Association in support of the deal as one of the "Top lobbying victories of 2015."[7]

In 2007, Arizona-based Iranian-American journalist Seid Hassan Daioleslam began publicly asserting that NIAC was lobbying for Iran. In response, Parsi and NIAC sued him for defamation. In 2012, Parsi's lawsuit was dismissed by the court on summary judgment.[3] In 2015, NIAC was monetarily sanctioned by two circuit judges and a senior circuit judge in favour of Daioleslam.[8]

First Trump administration

[edit]

In 2017, President Donald Trump did not recertify the Iran nuclear deal. Parsi criticized the decision, stating that the IAEA had repeatedly verified that Iran had been following the deal.[9] After Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened Iran with extreme sanctions, Parsi stated that Trump was attempting to instigate war with Iran.[10]

A placard in an Iran solidarity protest in Berlin on 22 October 2022 has "NIAC IS NOT OUR VOICE" written on it.

In July 2019, NIAC was the target of protests from members of the Iranian American community. Demonstrations in front of the NIAC office in Washington DC denounced NIAC as "the representative of the corrupt and brutal Islamic Republic regime" and not the voice of the Iranian-Americans.[11]

It was revealed in 2019 that the U.S. Department of State funded a group which attacked NIAC with the hashtag "#NIACLobbies4Mullahs".[12]

In January 2020, senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Mike Braun stated that NIAC and its sister organization NIAC Action violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and requested US Attorney-General William Barr investigate.[13] The US government has not publicly taken any such action against NIAC.[14]

Biden administration

[edit]

In 2022, Iranians protesting for regime change alleged that NIAC did not join the Women, Life, Freedom Movement and was still looking for a way to reform by trying to reestablish the JCPOA deal.[15][verify]

Second Trump administration

[edit]

According to a June 2026 article by The Free Press, the United States Department of State probed NIAC founder Trita Parsi for possible deportation.[16]

Funding

[edit]

NIAC has a 100% rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency by Guidestar.[17][18] NIAC has over 8,000 donors including Iranian-American individuals and American foundations and does not receive funds from the Iranian government nor the United States government.[19][20][21]

Policy positions

[edit]

Sanctions on Iran

[edit]

A NIAC report concluded that U.S. sanctions on Iran cost the U.S. economy between $135 billion and $175 billion in lost export revenue between 1995 and 2012.[22]

NIAC takes a negative view of economic sanctions against Iran and has opposed many proposals to sanction Iran and urged the repeal of sanctions it calls counterproductive.[23] The organization led campaigns to lift sanctions that blocked humanitarian organizations from providing disaster relief to Iranians, and helped remove sanctions on online communication tools like Facebook and YouTube.[24]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Trita Parsi. "Important Announcement on NIAC's Next Chapter". Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Iranian-Americans set up lobbying arm to counter pro-Israel groups". POLITICO. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 Josh Gerstein (13 September 2012). "Iranian-American group, leader lose libel case against writer". Politico. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  4. ↑ Jerusalem Post (15 January 2020). "Senators call to investigate pro-Iran group - report". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  5. ↑ NIAC Staff. "Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Stoil, Rebecca Shimoni (29 June 2015). "Iranian Americans set up pro-nuke deal lobby". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Dickson, Rebecca (16 December 2015). "Top lobbying victories of 2015". The Hill. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "America's most prominent group advocating engagement with Iran was hit with a rough court decision". BusinessInsider.com. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  9. ↑ "Trump puts burden of scrapping Iran deal on US Congress". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "Pompeo threatens Iran with 'strongest sanctions in history'". POLITICO. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Radio Farda. "Protest Gathering Held Outside National Iranian American Council". Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  12. ↑ Borger, Julian (31 May 2019). "US cuts funds for 'anti-propaganda' Iran group that trolled activists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Jerusalem Post (15 January 2020). "Senators call to investigate pro-Iran group - report". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "US probes NIAC founder Trita Parsi for possible deportation - Free Press". Iran International. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Toosi, Nahal (19 November 2022). "Iranian diaspora's divisions burst into open during Halifax forum". Politico. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: The Iran War Critic Under Investigation by the Trump Administration".
  17. ↑ "Charity Navigator - Rating for National Iranian American Council". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "National Iranian American Council - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Suozzo, Andrea; Glassford, Alec; Ngu, Ash; ProPublica; Roberts, Brandon (9 May 2013). "National Iranian American Council - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "National Iranian American Council (NIAC) | Devex". www.devex.com. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  21. ↑ "National Iranian American Council". Proteus Fund. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  22. ↑ "Sanctions on Iran cost the U.S. as much as $175 billion, study says". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  23. ↑ Gladstone, Rick (11 September 2013). "U.S. Eases Sanctions to Allow Good-Will Exchanges With Iran". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  24. ↑ Nissenbaum, Dion; Sparshott, Jeffrey (30 May 2013). "U.S. Eases Tech Exports to Help Iranian Dissenters". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Iranian_American_Council&oldid=1362364774"