Areas of Work
From being the trusted voice on U.S.- Iran relations, to pushing forth legislation that protects individuals of Iranian heritage from systematic discrimination, to celebrating our cultural heritage, NIAC creates a lasting impact in the lives of the members of our community.
Peace & Diplomacy
Advancing Peace & Diplomacy
An empowered Iranian-American community can advance policies that build precedent-setting infrastructures that incentivize peace and diplomacy, not only between the U.S. and Iran, but across the global stage. Read more ›
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Equitable Immigration
Advocating for Equitable Immigration
Ensuring that Iranians have the same opportunities as other nationals to make the U.S. their home can only make our country greater. Read more ›
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Civil Rights
Protecting Civil Rights
America’s founders enshrined the inalienable rights of all people in our Constitution and Americans have fought for generations to secure and protect those rights. Read more ›
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Human Rights
Spotlighting Human Rights
Raising up the struggles faced by Iranian human rights defenders and holding the Iranian government to international human rights standards is essential to building a future in which the U.S. and Iran enjoy positive relations. NIAC consistently condemns human rights violations by Iran’s government and calls for all prisoners of conscience to be released. Read more ›
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Community & Culture
Celebrating Community & Culture
NIAC takes immense pride in the rich tapestry that makes up the Iranian-American community and culture. Our heritage provides us common ground to grow as a community as we trailblaze in the U.S. Read more ›
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Political Power
Building Political Power
NIAC works to build political power so that Iranian Americans and our allies have influence on the decisions made by our government and can advance our values through civic and political engagement. Read more ›
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Support Our Work
Your contribution to NIAC helps support our work to champion priorities of the Iranian-American community.
NIAC is funded by the Iranian-American community and prominent American foundations. NIAC does not receive funds from the United States government nor from the Iranian government.
Contributions made to NIAC are 100% tax-deductible. Contributions made to NIAC Action are not tax-deductible.
Press Room
NIAC Applauds Passage of Amendment Requiring Report on Efficacy of U.S. Sanctions
The sad truth is that sanctions are reflexively imposed on adversaries and competitors with little to no regard for their harsh humanitarian impacts or whether they are advancing U.S. interests. For Iran, it has long been apparent that sanctions have done little to advance U.S. interests while impoverishing ordinary citizens and depriving them of basic care. Yet, there is no institutional mechanism to examine these policies to determine their effectiveness and their broad and harmful humanitarian impacts.
NIAC Sends Letter to Treasury Department Highlighting Key Issues with Current U.S. Sanctions Policy
NIAC sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) describing the detrimental impact of sanctions on humanitarian trade with Iran from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2018. This is in response to OFAC soliciting comments on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures during this period. Current U.S. sanctions policy is failing to protect even allowable humanitarian trade and must be reformed.
Join Our NIAC Action Board of Directors
The NIAC Action Board of Directors plays an important role in strategizing, supporting, and scaling up the work of building political power for the Iranian-American community. We encourage applicants with a background or expertise in nonprofit management, political fundraising, and/or electoral or issue-based campaigns to apply.
Iranian Prisoner Shahin Naseri Dies in Custody
Another disturbing death under the custody of Iranian authorities has compounded the tragic case of Navid Afkari. The death of Shahin Naseri, a witness to the “medieval-style torture” of the champion wrestler Navid Afkari executed a year ago, was confirmed by Iran’s judiciary. Two days after activists reported Naseri’s death, the head of Iran’s Prisons Organization launched a probe into the case issuing a “special directive.”
New App Hopes to Help Iranians Communicate More Freely
As a tool for widespread communication and sharing across borders, Iranian authorities have long tried to control and censor internet access for Iranian citizens. However, a new Android app, Nahoft, seeks to give Iranians a tool that could allow them to communicate freely as the state tightens its grip on internet control, surveillance, and censorship. The encryption app’s name fittingly means “hidden” in Persian. It was recently released on Google Play by United for Iran, a human rights and civil liberties group based in San Francisco.
Iran to Return to Nuclear Talks “Soon”
Iran’s Foreign Minister said at the UNGA that Iran would return to the Vienna JCPOA talks soon, but did not specify a date. Meanwhile, officials say Iran is now importing American vaccines, reflecting a reversing of Khamenei’s ban from earlier this year. New economic data also shows Iran’s export increasing and Iran and the IAEA are again feuding.
Iran to Return to Vienna Talks
Iran has said it will return to the Vienna negotiations this week, amid diplomatic momentum building at the UN General Assembly. In Iran, rapper Toumaj Salehi was released from prison while another prisoner died under suspicious circumstances. Iran has also been accepted into the Shanghai Cooperation Council.