NIAC Letter to Secretary Blinken Opposing Travel Ban
On September 14th, 2023, NIAC sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken opposing recent calls from former Trump administration Iran Envoy Elliott Abrams and Senator Menendez for a ban on U.S. travel to Iran, threatening the option for Iranian Americans to be able to visit their families. [pdf-embedder url=”https://niacouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NIAC-Letter-Opposing-Travel-Ban.pdf” title=”NIAC Letter Opposing Travel […]
State Department Responds to Congressional Sanctions Concerns
Last December, NIAC worked with Rep. Jared Huffman and a group of 13 lawmakers who sent a letter to the the State Department regarding the dire humanitarian impact of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian people. Read the full text of the State Department’s response.
NIAC Applauds UMass Policy Reversal
NIAC welcomes the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s decision today to reverse its policy to ban Iranian students from certain fields and looks forward to learning more about its new approach. NIAC President Trita Parsi released the following statement.
What Obama’s new team may mean for diplomatic progress with Iran
The commencement of President Obama’s second term in office brings a whole host of updates to his administration. With old advisors and secretaries departing and a new national security team being formed, several of these changes may have direct implications on future talks with Iran. Foremost among these is the recent Senate confirmation of John […]
E Pluribus Unum
It’s no challenge trying to find an American flag and seal in the U.S. State Department. Almost every place you look, you can find our nation’s beautiful seal decorated with these powerful words, “E Pluribus Unum” meaning Out of Many One. But the reason I went to the State Department was not just to admire […]
Clinton and Baker on Iran, Israeli strikes, and diplomacy
In an interview with Charlie Rose at the State Department last Wednesday, June 20, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Former Secretary of State James Baker discussed the role of diplomacy in resolving US- Iranian tensions [watch the interview here, read the transcript here]. Baker said the U.S. must pursue all non-military means to prevent an […]
State Department includes MEK in latest terrorism report, but review still pending
The State Department today released its annual Country Reports on Terrorism, which includes the Mujahedin-e Khalq under the section on Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Does this mean the group’s terror designation has been retained and its multi-million dollar campaign to pressure its way off of the FTO list has failed? No. The review by Secretary Clinton […]
Fueling Ethnic Tensions in the Persian Gulf is Not a Strategy for Middle East Stability
Washington risks entering into a game of escalating provocations with Tehran even as continuing efforts to restart talks in November are underway. Iran’s announcement that the two US hikers being held Evin prison will now face trial just ahead of the talks is no coincidence. The move is particularly shameful considering that these US citizens […]
Clinton Appoints NIAC Advisory Board Member to Senior Iran Post
Cross posted from niacouncil.org. Washington, D.C. — The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) applauds the appointment of Ambassador John Limbert as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State. Amb. Limbert, who served on NIACs Board of Advisors up until his appointment, is a decorated […]
Senate Cmte. Passes Sanctions, Despite State Dept. Opposition
Washington, DC – The Senate Banking Committee passed a broad set of Iran sanctions today, despite one Senator saying that the act was opposed by U.S. Department of State. The unanimous vote, 23-0 in favor, papered over differences that emerged in the hearing. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) raised repeated objections to the bill. “This is […]
US speaks up on Alaei brothers detention and human rights center closure
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack released this statement today: “The United States condemns the closing of the Center for the Defense of Human Rights and urges Iranian authorities to allow this and similar civil society organizations to operate free of oppression. On December 21, Iranian authorities closed down the civil society organization of Nobel Peace […]
Public Diplomacy 2.0
(h/t memri) U.S. State Department Team Will Explain U.S. Positions To Online Iranians The U.S. State Department has established a special team of Farsi speakers to monitor websites and blogs in Iran, and to respond and to explain the U.S. position, particularly on the Iranian nuclear issue, on chat rooms and online forums. Sources: Jomhouri-e […]