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Accomplishments

List of accomplishments we’ve had over the past 20 years

فهرست دستاوردهای مهم در طول ۲۰ سال گذشته

Since its inception in 2002, NIAC has grown to become the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the country, with supporters in all 50 states. NIAC has emerged as a trusted source for elected officials, policymakers, and the media on U.S.-Iran relations and is a tireless advocate of championing the community’s key policy priorities. Find a select list of NIAC’s most notable accomplishments below and learn more about our current areas of work here.

Advancing Peace & Diplomacy

  • Championed the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal
  • Blocked sanctions legislation that would have ended nuclear negotiations in 2013
  • Led call in 2019 for future U.S. administration to return to Iran nuclear deal and helped secure commitments from all major 2020 Presidential challengers, within the 2019 Democratic platform, and in Congressional legislation to do so
  • Helped deliver bipartisan No War with Iran legislation sent to the President’s desk in 2020
  • Defeated 2007 House resolution that would have paved the way for war by greenlighting a naval blockade on Iran

Equitable Immigration

Protecting Civil Rights

  • Publicly challenged Apple in 2012 for turning away Iranian Americans due to sanctions concerns
  • Successfully reversed banking policies that led to terminations of accounts held by Iranians in and Iranian Americans, and continue to challenge such policies
  • Secured reversals of discriminatory policies denying admittance to Iranian students  to major universities in 2015 
  • Reversed US Postal Service policy to reject mail sent from U.S. to Iran in 2018
  • Supported efforts for justice for the murders of Iranian Americans Shayan Mazroie and Bijan Ghaisar

Building Political Power

  • Formed NIAC Action in 2015 and NIAC Action PAC in 2019 to help elect Iranian Americans and champions of our community
  • Endorsed and supported many successful Iranian American candidates, including Cyrus Habib for Washington Lieutenant Governor (2016), and Parisa Dehgani Tafti for Virginia Commonwealth Attorney (2019)
  • 2016: Supported House and Senate candidates and helped defeat incumbent Senator Mark Kirk —the top Iran hawk in Congress who was the architect of inhumane sanctions and pro-war policies
  • 2018: Endorsed challengers in the five Congressional districts with the largest Iranian-American populations represented by lawmakers who supported policies like the Muslim Ban and broad sanctions. All five NIAC Action endorsees won their election, defeating hardliners like Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)

Spotlighting Human Rights in Iran

  • Lifted sanctions against communications technology for Iranians beginning in 2009 
  • Secured the first targeted human rights sanctions in 2010 against Iranian government officials responsible for abuses
  • Built critical Senate support to establish a United Nations Human Rights Monitor on Iran in 2011 to investigate, spotlight, and engage authorities on human rights violations
  • Secured permanent sanctions exemption for humanitarian organizations to provide relief inside Iran in 2013

Celebrating Community & Culture

  • Protected the Persepolis tablets and other priceless cultural artifacts held at American museums and universities from being seized to satisfy court judgments against Iran
  • Corrected the National Geographic Society’s 8th edition maps to read “Persian Gulf” instead of “Arabian Gulf”
  • Amplified the voices of LGBTQ+ Iranian Americans and other marginalized voices to showcase the diversity of our community and challenge the cultural taboos of the past

 

20 Years of Fighting for Iranian Americans