Washington, DC – On January 22, 2026, the National Iranian American Council sent a letter to President Trump, senior administration officials, Members of Congress, and United Nations officials urging key steps in response to the Iranian government’s recent, brutal crackdown on protesters. The letter outlines four key recommendations for the administration, Members of Congress, and the United Nations to take in support:
1. Abstain from military intervention and end threats of war
2. Support a reputable, independent investigation into human rights violations
3. Halt deportations to Iran and Immediately restart Iranian refugee, asylum, and visa processing
4. Provide relief for the Iranian people and press Iranian authorities to comply with human rights obligations
The full text of the letter is included below:
January 22, 2026
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump,
In the wake of the Iranian government’s brutal crackdown on protests in Iran—amid an ongoing internet blackout—urgent and responsible action is needed to establish accountability, reinforce compliance with international law, and prevent further violence and injustice. The future of Iran must be determined by the people of Iran, and outside powers must ensure that their actions abide by the principle of doing no harm. As we have seen in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan, getting this moment wrong risks dooming Iranians and the region to a bleak future of continued authoritarianism, state disintegration, and civil war.
On behalf of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), and in solidarity with activists inside Iran calling for justice and transparency, we urge the United States government to take the following steps:
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Abstain from Military Intervention and End Threats of War
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Democracy does not flow from the barrels of guns or the explosion of bombs, but death does. The United States must not escalate this crisis into a wider conflict that would devastate civilians and derail efforts to support human rights through lawful and credible mechanisms.
We strongly urge President Trump and the U.S. government to abstain from military intervention and further threats to bomb Iran. Threats and promises by the President did not prevent mass killings in Iran—and may have indirectly contributed to the securitization of the protest landscape. Moving forward, further military threats risk undermining ongoing efforts for accountability and providing justification for further repression.
We call on Congress to assert its Constitutional authority to decide when the country enters military conflict and to pass a War Powers Resolution to ensure the U.S. is not wantonly entering a military adventure in Iran.
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Support a Reputable, Independent Investigation into Human Rights Violations
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NIAC echoes the calls from activists inside Iran for the establishment of a reputable and independent investigation to establish concrete facts regarding the widespread killing of Iranians during demonstrations.
We appreciate that the UN Human Rights Council will convene this Friday to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran, which represents a prime opportunity to heed these calls. We urge that it work to extend and adjust the scope of the mandate of the UN Fact Finding Mission established in the wake of the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement so that it is empowered to investigate rights violations committed against Iranian demonstrators between December 2025-January 2026 and beyond.
We urge that other international mechanisms, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the UN Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights, be fully utilized to investigate the facts on the ground and to work toward accountability and a restoration of compliance with international law. We call on Iran to cooperate with these monitors and not to obstruct their investigations while ceasing rights violations and moving in line with its international rights obligations.
These investigations should, at minimum, include the following:
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- The human toll of the December-January protests and crackdown, including deaths, mass arrests, torture and threats of capital punishment.
- The circumstances surrounding the deaths of demonstrators, bystanders, and security forces.
- A complete accounting of violations of international law that have occurred since the protests began in late December.
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Halt Deportations to Iran and Immediately Restart Iranian Refugee, Asylum, and Visa Processing
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We call on the Trump Administration to halt deportations to Iran and lift the ban on Iranian refugee, asylum, and visa processing. We have received word that a third deportation flight from the U.S. to Iran may be imminent, with individuals at risk of reprisal from the Iranian state potentially being forced on board. This is beyond the pale and must be halted immediately.
Amid mass rights violations inside Iran—which the President and U.S. officials have acknowledged—it is outrageous not only to turn our backs on Iranians seeking to flee repression, but to deport many Iranians currently in the United States back into the hands of a repressive and authoritarian government.
The United States has a long tradition of opening its doors to those fleeing political and religious persecution, dating back to the years before American independence. Shutting our door on Iranians in their hour of need is not only unjustifiable—it is also anti-American.
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Provide relief for the Iranian people and press Iranian authorities to comply with human rights obligations
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The Iranian government must take urgent steps to comply with its international human rights obligations. Diplomatic efforts should be undertaken to secure Iranian cooperation with human rights monitors, the release of prisoners of conscience including those arrested in the December–January demonstrations, verifiable commitments to due process for prisoners accused of serious crimes, the end of internet throttling, the allowance of international journalists to travel freely and report from Iran, and ceasing arbitrary shutdowns of publications inside Iran. These steps are essential for Iran to comply with its international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a signatory.
In conjunction with efforts to secure these steps to halt the further deterioration of human rights inside Iran, serious efforts should be explored by the U.S. and at the UN regarding adjustments to sanctions policy that can benefit ordinary Iranians. Ever-increasing sanctions on Iran have not improved the human rights situation in the country and have weakened the relative power of the Iranian people vis a vis the state. In past moments of mass protest in Iran, the U.S. identified and implemented changes to sanctions that were undermining Iranians — notably including restrictions on access to Internet communication tools and on humanitarian relief. Parties that are currently imposing sanctions on Iran should immediately identify opportunities to benefit Iranians directly through focused relief and assess how broad sanctions can, at a minimum, be more acutely targeted to avoid imposing pain on ordinary Iranians.
Respectfully,
Jamal Abdi
President, NIAC
cc: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz
Members of the U.S. Congress
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk