The National Iranian-American Council (NIAC), widely regarded as a lobbying arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has once again ramped up its activities, seizing the current geopolitical crisis to further its longstanding agenda of advocating on behalf of the Iranian regime.
Since its founding in 2002 by Trita Parsi and others, NIAC has consistently worked to promote détente between the United States and the Iranian regime. Its lobbying efforts were first exposed in 2007 by investigative journalist Hassan Dai, prompting NIAC to file a defamation lawsuit against him. However, in 2012, the court ruled against NIAC, ordering the organization to pay Dai $184,000 in legal fees. The case led to the release of NIAC’s internal documents, revealing troubling details about its activities. Publications such as The Atlantic and Bloomberg later reported on communications between Parsi and then-Iranian Ambassador to the UN, Javad Zarif, further solidifying suspicions about NIAC’s ties to the regime.
During the Obama administration, NIAC’s influence grew significantly as it lobbied aggressively for the Iran Nuclear Deal. Over time, its reputation deteriorated among Iranian-Americans, many of whom began to regard the organization as a pariah. Following the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent nationwide uprising in Iran, NIAC attempted to rebrand itself as a critic of the Islamic Republic. However, this transparent maneuver failed to change public perception of NIAC as a regime-affiliated lobby group.
Now, in 2025, as the specter of a military confrontation between Iran and the United States looms, NIAC is once again positioning itself as the supposed voice of Iranian-Americans. Exploiting their legitimate concerns over war and visa restrictions, the organization seeks to manipulate public sentiment in a desperate bid to shield the Iranian regime from mounting international pressure. This effort is yet another attempt to divert attention from the regime’s ongoing atrocities—including widespread human rights violations, mass executions, brutal suppression of dissent, and its destabilizing role in the Middle East through the support of terrorist organizations.
The upcoming NIAC event aimed at establishing a Minnesota chapter is part of this broader effort to extend its influence. As Iranian-Americans who stand for a free and democratic Iran, we are committed to mobilizing against NIAC’s expansion and preventing it from taking root in Minnesota. We firmly believe that a future without the Islamic Republic and its network of lobbyists is not just possible, but inevitable. The days of this regime and its enablers are numbered.
March 17, 2025, Minneapolis, MN
