Iran News Roundup 11/7
War watch: Israeli and U.S. officials discuss military strikes on Iran This past week has seen an increased amount of war talk in both Israel and the U.S. Shimon Peres joined in, saying, “the possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option.” Yet, […]
U.S. military leaders push for direct communications with Iran
In January 2008, the U.S. Navy was on the verge of opening fire on three Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats, which were taking provocative action in close proximity to the American ships. Fortunately, no shots were fired that day, but the danger of armed conflict breaking out between two nations already on the brink was clear. […]
MEK’s attempts to hijack the Green Movement
The Mujahedin-e Khalq campaign to be removed from the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorist Organization’s has been fueled by plenty of misinformation. One big lie that MEK has spread in Washington is that the group is popularly supported in Iran and is the “main opposition.” This attempt to hijack Iran’s indigenous Green Movement is nothing […]
NIAC Applauds Senate Call for Human Rights Monitor
NIAC applauds Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and 23 other Senators who today called for the Obama Administration to work with the international community to establish an independent U.N. human rights monitor on Iran when the U.N. Human Rights Council convenes this March. The action taken by the Senators in support of greater international scrutiny of […]
Ominous signs for new Congress’ Iran agenda: sanctions, blockade, war
This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee convened for a hearing on “Implementing Tougher Sanctions on Iran” and offered a frightening preview of what will be on the House’s agenda next year. At the hearing, Representative Don Manzullo (R-IL) laid out what may be the game plan by the new Republican Congress […]
Graham and Netanyahu pressure Obama to ratchet up war rhetoric
On Saturday, Senator Lindsey Graham reportedly “stunned” attendees at a Halifax International Security Conference when he called for a military strike that would “neuter” the Iranian regime “not to just neutralize their nuclear program, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard.” NIAC addressed the […]
In the Struggle for Human Rights, Every Victory Brings More Work
There has been some welcome news on the Iranian human rights front in recent days. First, Iranian authorities released human rights activist Nazar Ahari yesterday from the infamous Evin Prison, and photos of her outside the prison have made their way onto the internet. Additionally, earlier in the week Iranian officials officially suspended the execution […]
Rep. Sherman Wants to Help Ahmadinejad Punish Innocent Iranians
Iran’s rulers hardly need assistance to make the lives of Iranians miserable. Iranians are suffering mightily under their government’s flagrant human rights abuses, political repression, and economic mismanagement but, writing in the Hill last week, Representative Brad Sherman argued that punishing the Iranian people is exactly what the US should do. “Critics [of the sanctions] […]
Resolution Green-Lighting Israeli Strikes on Iran Introduced by House Republicans
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The resolution, H.Res. 1553, provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress supports Israel’s use of “all means necessary” against Iran “including the use of military force”. US military leaders have warned that […]
Senators Take on Obama over Iran Sanctions
The Cable reports that a bipartisan group of Senators have sent a letter to the Chairmen of the Iran sanctions conference, laying down the gauntlet regarding changes sought by the Obama Administration for the final bill, as well as multilateral efforts being pursued by the Administration. The letter highlights the infamous Gates memo, in which Defense […]
Tell President Obama to Fix the Single-Entry Visa Policy for Iranian Students in the US
So many Iranian Americans began their journey in the U.S. as students, but now that path is becoming increasingly closed. Not only is it more difficult for Iranians to obtain visas to study in the U.S., but Iranian students are only eligible for single-entry visas. This means that Iranians studying in the U.S. cannot visit […]
Mark Kirk’s Fuzzy Iran Logic
On February 19, Mark Kirk, a Republican Congressman from Illinois running for a promotion to the US Senate, delivered a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to share his views on Iran policy. While initial reports didn’t indicate anything much new was said by the Representative, who has been calling for a gasoline […]