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National Iranian American Council

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National Iranian American Council
Founder(s)Trita Parsi, Babak Talebi, Farzin Illich
EstablishedJanuary 2002 (2002-01)
PresidentJamal Abdi
Location
Washington
,
DC
,
United States
Websitewww.niacouncil.org

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC; Persian: شورای ملی ایرانیان آمریکا) is a lobbying group widely viewed as the de facto "Iran Lobby" in Washington, D.C. due to its history of lobbying for stances on behalf of, and aligned with, the Islamic Republic of Iran.[1][2][3][1][4][5][6][7] NIAC Action PAC is its affiliated political action committee and was formed in 2015.[8]

The organization's first president was Trita Parsi who also its cofounder. Its president is now Jamal Abdi.[9]

History

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NIAC was founded in 2002 by Trita Parsi, Babak Talebi, and Farzin Illich to promote Iranian-American relations.[10] In 1999, Parsi co-authored a paper named "Iran-Americans: The bridge between two nations" which explained need of an organization like NIAC.[11]

Obama administration: lobbying for the regime and defamation lawsuit

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In 2007, Arizona-based Iranian-American journalist Seid Hassan Daioleslam began publicly asserting that NIAC was lobbying on behalf of Iran. In response, NIAC sued him for defamation. In 2012, it was dismissed by the court on the grounds of not having significant evidences that would constitute defamation.[1][12] As part of his decision, Judge Bates concluded that NIAC's president work was "not inconsistent with the idea that he was first and foremost an advocate for the regime." The judge came to the conclusion that it is reasonable to rationally assert that NIAC is lobbying on behalf of the Iranian government. In addition, the judge also concluded, "Nothing in this opinion should be construed as a finding that defendant’s articles were true."[12] In 2015, NIAC was monetary sanctioned by two circuit judges and a senior circuit judge, in favor of Daioleslam.[13]

As a result of the lawsuits, many internal documents were released, which former Washington Times correspondent Eli Lake stated "raise questions" about whether the organization had violated U.S. lobbying regulations.[14] Andrew Sullivan responded to the story in The Atlantic, suggesting the motive of the story was to "smear" Parsi's reputation.[15]

A March 2015 column by Eli Lake in Bloomberg View asserted that the emails showed cooperation between Parsi and the then Iran ambassador to the United Nations and current Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.[16] NIAC's webpage confirms "that Parsi developed a relationship with Zarif after interviewing him on "numerous occasions for his book." It states that Parsi made introductions for members of the U.S. Congress to meet with Zarif at the request of the lawmakers.[17] According to The Washington Time's article, "Law enforcement experts who reviewed some of the documents, which were made available to The Times by the defendant in the suit, say e-mails between Mr. Parsi and Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations at the time, Javad Zarif - and an internal review of the Lobbying Disclosure Act - offer evidence that the group has operated as an undeclared lobby and may be guilty of violating tax laws, the Foreign Agents Registration Act and lobbying disclosure laws."[4]

During the Obama administration, NIAC reached the height of its influence as it advocated in support of the Iran nuclear deal. The Congressional publication, The Hill, cited NIAC's work in support of the Iran nuclear accord as one of the "Top lobbying victories of 2015."[18]

Trump administration: protests

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

In July 2019, NIAC was the target of sustained protests from members of the Iranian community with demonstrations in front of the NIAC office in Washington DC. They viewed NIAC as "the representative of the corrupt and brutal Islamic Republic regime" and not the voice of the Iranian-Americans.[19]

Iranians who were protesting for regime change believe that NIAC has not joined the Women, Life, Freedom Movement and is still looking for a way to reform by trying to reestablish the JCPOA deal.[20]

It was also revealed in 2019 that the U.S. Department of State funded a group which attacked NIAC with the hashtag "#NIACLobbies4Mullahs".[21]

Biden administration: Senators call for investigation

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In January 2020, senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Mike Braun claimed that NIAC and its sister organization NIAC Action have violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and they are "amplifying regime propaganda in the United States". They requested the US Attorney-General William Barr to "evaluate whether an investigation of NIAC is warranted for potential FARA violations and to ensure transparency regarding foreign attempts to influence the US political process."[22][23][24]

In 2022, Holly Dagres stated that "NIAC has become a slur that is synonymous with regime lobby/apologist to the point that Iranians inside Iran use it".[25]

In 2023, journalist Emily Schrader claimed her criticism of NIAC as one of the "foreign lobbying mouthpieces of the Islamic Republic" led to death threats and antisemitic comments.[26]

Funding

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NIAC has a 100% rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency by Guidestar.[27][28] 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.[29][30][31] Their funders have included the Namazi family who funded NIAC while it pursued policies which would financially benefit the family.[32]

Policy positions

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NIAC has been described the Islamic Republic's lobby in Washington, DC.[14][22][1][4][5][33]

Sanctions on Iran

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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.[34]

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.[35] 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.[36]

In 2015, the organization supported a Congressional letter (Dent-Price), which was signed by 131 Representatives, advocated for giving negotiations with Iran on the nuclear issue a chance after the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.[37]

People

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Negar Mortazavi is a former employee of NIAC.[38] Ben Rhodes, deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration, was a keynote speaker at one of NIAC's events.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Josh Gerstein (13 September 2012). "Iranian-American group, leader lose libel case against writer". Politico. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  2. ^ Eli Lake (13 November 2009). "Iran advocacy group said to skirt lobby rules". The Washington Times.
  3. ^ Jerusalem Post (15 January 2020). "Senators call to investigate pro-Iran group - report". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Lake, Eli (13 November 2009). "Exclusive: Iran advocacy group said to skirt lobby rules". The Washington Times. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b Johnston, Susannah (24 May 2023). "Did the Voice of America Cave to Iran's 'Lobby'?". Middle East Forum. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  6. ^ Dai, Hassan (29 June 2017). "How Trita Parsi and NIAC Used the White House to Advance Iran's Agenda". Tablet.
  7. ^ "A Pistachio Family Business In US Boosts The Iranian Regime". Iran International. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024. the National Iranian American Council (NIAC)—an American-based organization widely viewed by many Iranians as a lobby entity for the Islamic Republic.
  8. ^ "Iranian-Americans set up lobbying arm to counter pro-Israel groups". POLITICO. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  9. ^ Trita Parsi. "Important Announcement on NIAC's Next Chapter". Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  10. ^ NIAC Staff. "Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  11. ^ Namazi, Siamak; Parsi, Trita (1999). "Iran-Americans: The bridge between two nations" (PDF). DAPIA Conference.
  12. ^ a b "UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA". uscourts.gov. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ a b Eli Lake (13 November 2009). "Iran advocacy group said to skirt lobby rules". The Washington Times.
  15. ^ Sullivan, Andrew (16 November 2009). "'Send It To Lake Right Away!'". The Daily Dish. Atlantic Media. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  16. ^ "Iran's Charmer in Chief Wins Again". Bloomberg.com. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Myths vs. Facts, Continued - NIAC". 26 April 2015. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  18. ^ Dickson, Rebecca (16 December 2015). "Top lobbying victories of 2015. Because of the negligence that NIAC caused,Islamic Republic has access to 60% enriched uranium. Considering the history of this government's support of terrorist groups, the risk of making an atomic bomb by this regime with the support of NIAC is very high". The Hill. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  19. ^ Radio Farda. "Protest Gathering Held Outside National Iranian American Council". Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  20. ^ Toosi, Nahal (19 November 2022). "Iranian diaspora's divisions burst into open during Halifax forum". Politico. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ a b Jerusalem Post (15 January 2020). "Senators call to investigate pro-Iran group - report". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  23. ^ BBC. "سه سناتور خواستار تحقیق درباره گروه ایرانی آمریکایی نایاک شدند". BBC News فارسی. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  24. ^ Deutsche Welle. "نامه سه سناتور به دادگستری آمریکا برای بررسی پرونده "نایاک"". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  25. ^ Tweet by Holly Dagres (October 16, 2023): "A point about NIAC being called out: NIAC has become a slur that is synonymous with regime lobby/apologist to the point that Iranians inside Iran use it (hence the tweet you pointed out). I get called NIAC and I don’t get offended by it because I know my work speaks for itself."
  26. ^ Schrader, Emily (19 March 2023). "How I became a target of the Islamic Republic of Iran". Ynetnews. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Charity Navigator - Rating for National Iranian American Council". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  28. ^ "National Iranian American Council - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  29. ^ Suozzo, Andrea; Glassford, Alec; Ngu, Ash; ProPublica; Roberts, Brandon (9 May 2013). "National Iranian American Council - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  30. ^ "National Iranian American Council (NIAC) | Devex". www.devex.com. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  31. ^ "National Iranian American Council". Proteus Fund. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  32. ^ Shirazi, Alex (15 September 2015). "The Shady Family Behind America's Iran Lobby". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  33. ^ https://twitter.com/emilykschrader/status/1579242702486401024 [bare URL]
  34. ^ "Sanctions on Iran cost the U.S. as much as $175 billion, study says". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ 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.
  37. ^ Steven, Nelson (19 July 2013). "'Unprecedented' 131 Congressmen Say Obama Should Give Iran's New President a Chance". Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  38. ^ NIAC Welcomes New Media and Communications Staff | NIAC
  39. ^ "In All But Name: The Iranian Regime's (De Facto) Lobby In The West". Hoover Institution. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
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