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Demand No War with Iran!
President Biden and Members of Congress need to be hearing the clear demand right now – No War with Iran. Send them a message and call them now to urge them to support diplomacy and oppose further escalation.
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Ceasefire. NOW.
End the War in Gaza, Prevent Regional War with Iran
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October 7: Reflecting on a Year of Immense Destruction and Loss
This past year has only reinforced the urgent need for justice, accountability, and an end to the cycle of violence that continues to claim innocent lives.
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Could Kamala Harris Shift Gears on Biden’s Disastrous Middle East Approach?
A shift in approach is needed now. Harris should capitalize on her role in the administration and as frontrunner for the Democratic nomination
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Pezeshkian Victory Presents Opportunities to Ease Pressures on Ordinary Iranians
If whoever wins the U.S. election in November puts sanctions relief on the table, a deal can likely be struck again that puts weaponization at bay and eases some of the pressure on Iran’s economy to the benefit of ordinary Iranians.
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Iranian Americans Finally Gain Recognition in U.S. Census!
After decades of research, education and advocacy by NIAC and many others, the next Census will officially include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) as a category option, with “Iranian” as a subcategory.
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Dozens of Civil Society Organizations Demand Federal Investigation Into Israeli Campaign Targeting Americans
NIAC lead the effort organizing 30 organizations who demanded the Biden administration call for an investigation and accountability regarding reports that Israel has engaged in covert influence operations aimed at influencing America’s democratic debate and maligning critics of the Israeli government.
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Ending Banking Discrimination
Inside the class action lawsuit against Bank of America for discriminating against Iranian Americans
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Latest Updates

October 7: Reflecting on a Year of Immense Destruction and Loss

October 7, 2024

Today, October 7, we mark a somber anniversary. This day marks when Hamas launched a horrific attack that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians, which was rightly condemned across the world. Many, including the families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas, are still grieving that horrific day and all the bloodshed that has followed.  That day also marked the beginning of a year of horrific war the Israeli government unleashed on Gaza, which has now expanded to Lebanon, with risks of expansion to Iran. We mourn the devastating loss of life in Gaza and Lebanon, holding space for the deep grief and collective pain felt by so many as we stand in solidarity with the victims of this ongoing genocide. This past year has only reinforced the urgent need for justice, accountability, and an end to the cycle of violence that continues to claim innocent lives. As we reflect on this painful year, we commit to advocating for peace and a future where freedom and security are shared by all. It is our collective responsibility to prevent further bloodshed and to push for lasting solutions rooted in human rights and equality. Israeli civilians held by Hamas must be released, Palestinian civilians

NIAC Leads 80+ Organizations in Urging President Biden to Halt Israel’s March to Regional War

October 3, 2024

Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council (NIAC) led more than 80 organizations representing diverse American communities in sending a letter to President Biden urging that he halt Israel’s march to regional war. This call comes in the wake of heightened regional tensions following Israel’s expansion of the war in Gaza into Lebanon and Iran’s missile strike on Israel, with U.S. officials indicating they may be working to moderate Israel’s response and reduce risks of regional war. Some of the national organizations signing on to the letter include the Center for International Policy, Just Foreign Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation, IfNotNow, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), CODEPINK, Peace Action and Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. The primary ask behind this letter is that the Biden administration utilize the significant leverage it has to rein in Netanyahu as he continues to proceed with a consistently failed “de-escalation through escalation” approach throughout the region that has cost countless civilian lives. As stated in the letter: “It is not in the national interest for the U.S. to be led into a war with Iran by Benjamin Netanyhu’s government in Israel. It is in the strong national interest to utilize diplomacy, backed

NIAC Sends Letter to Wells Fargo Bank Calling Out Discrimination Against Iranians

October 3, 2024

Washington, DC – In recent months, the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has fielded a significant number of complaints regarding Wells Fargo’s treatment of its customers of Iranian heritage. This includes abrupt account closures and demands to sign an “Iran Declaration,” which requires those who sign it to declare they have no intent to return to Iran for longer than six months.  This declaration goes well beyond the requirements of U.S. sanctions and represents an unacceptable and unfair burden on Iranians and Iranian Americans who try to give Wells Fargo their business. On October 1, 2024, NIAC sent a letter to Wells Fargo Bank expressing our deep concerns regarding these practices and noting that they go well beyond what is required by the federal government. These challenges for our community have been going on for years and stem from overcompliance with U.S. sanctions, which obligate banks to ensure that they are not servicing individuals who are “ordinarily resident” in Iran. As a result, several banks have engaged in a series of discriminatory and harmful actions targeting individuals solely on the basis of their Iranian heritage. NIAC’s letter to Wells Fargo urges the bank to stop requiring its customers of Iranian

Iran Strikes on Israel Underscore Urgent Need for De-escalation

October 1, 2024

Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council issued the following statement in response to reports that Iran conducted missile strikes inside Israel: Our thoughts are with all those innocent civilians impacted by this mindless war – from Palestine to Lebanon to Iran and Israel. This is what a vacuum of American leadership and blind U.S. support of militarism has delivered – a spiraling conflict with mass devastation and rampant insecurity from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea. The Biden administration’s support for Israel’s escalate to de-escalate policy has massively failed. Many appear to have bought into the wrong notion that the conflicts across the region have military solutions, which is 100% false. Only through diplomacy can threats to Israel, the United States and Iran be reduced and security restored.  It is clear that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is succeeding in its goal of dragging the U.S. into a wider war. This may benefit his personal political ambitions, but it is a disaster for everyone else. The blank check for Bibi must be cut. We call on policymakers not to fall back to a knee-jerk and blind defense of Israel in this moment of crisis, but instead to warn about the

"I have long believed, just as NIAC does, that diplomacy is our most important tool for advancing our country’s security and prosperity, and look forward to continuing to work together." - Senator Bernie Sanders
"I have long believed, just as NIAC does, that diplomacy is our most important tool for advancing our country’s security and prosperity, and look forward to continuing to work together."
- Senator Bernie Sanders
"NIAC's ability to engage, organize, and grow political power within the Iranian-American community will help us to build a brighter, safer, and more just future that makes us all proud."- Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
"NIAC's ability to engage, organize, and grow political power within the Iranian-American community will help us to build a brighter, safer, and more just future that makes us all proud."
- Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
"Whether it is standing up for peace and diplomacy, or taking a stand against xenophobic discrimination, I know that NIAC is an ally that won't back down."- Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
"Whether it is standing up for peace and diplomacy, or taking a stand against xenophobic discrimination, I know that NIAC is an ally that won't back down."
- Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
"I admire the grassroots model that your organization has adapted and your organizational values for engagement, justice, respect and transparency. I will continue to be a firm supporter of your organization." - Congresswoman Barbara Lee
"I admire the grassroots model that your organization has adapted and your organizational values for engagement, justice, respect and transparency. I will continue to be a firm supporter of your organization."
- Congresswoman Barbara Lee
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NIAC in the News

House Responds to Israeli-Iranian Missile Exchange by Taking Rights Away From Americans

“This bill is very concerning because it’s the beginning of a process of criminalizing something that is very normal for many people, which is traveling to Iran,” said Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council. “If you’re an American citizen, the government should not be controlling where you can travel.”

CBC As It Happens: Israel Iran Strike

"The decision by Israel to conduct that strike, I do think was extremely reckless. And I think it is just a question of whether it was reckless out of, you know, negligence or hubris, or was it deliberately reckless? And, you know, my, my great fear is that it really was -- the intention was -- to provoke Iran, whether it's to take the focus off of what is happening in Gaza, whether it is to regionalize the war and force the U.S. to enter directly to confront Iran."

NIAC’s Jamal Abdi on the risks of regional war between Iran and Israel

‘Disastrous’: Israel-Iran tensions test limits of US policy amid Gaza war

Ryan Costello, policy director at NIAC, warned that if the US joins Israel in reprisal strikes, the results could be catastrophic. “It’s really reckless and would certainly plunge the entire region into a disastrous and bloody conflict,” he told Al Jazeera.

‘Frog being boiled’: US troop deaths in Jordan incite Republican Iran hawks

Ryan Costello, policy director at NIAC, warned that if the US joins Israel in reprisal strikes, the results could be catastrophic. “It’s really reckless and would certainly plunge the entire region into a disastrous and bloody conflict,” he told Al Jazeera.

Congress forms caucus to aid Iranian ex-terror group

“The fact that a documented cult-like organization with a history of terrorism, human rights abuses, and committing atrocities alongside Saddam Hussein can get endorsed by lawmakers in Washington is a testament to how much money and power is behind the pro-war with Iran infrastructure here,” says Jamal Abdi, head of the National Iranian American Council.
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NIAC is funded by the Iranian-American community and prominent American foundations, and is the proud recipient of the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. NIAC is an independent organization and 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.