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

Secured multiple-entry visas for Iranian students, amending longstanding U.S. policy to only grant single-entry visas
Led the fight against discriminatory visa waiver program legislation (H.R.158), delivering over 100,000 messages to Congress and securing bipartisan legislation to eliminate restrictions on Iranian and other impacted dual nationals
Helped secure the first ever Congressional oversight hearing on the Muslim ban and invitations for Iranian-American victims of the ban to testify
Led the fight against legislation that would end the green card process for Iranians

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

2002 – NIAC was founded
2003 – Forced Monster.com to stop discriminating against Iranian Americans
2004 – Convinced National Geographic Society to use Persian Gulf, rather than “Arabian Gulf,” in their maps
2007 – Defeated legislation mandating a naval blockade of Iran, an act of war
2009 – Reduced the impact of sanctions on communications technology for Iranians amid the Green Movement
2010 – Secured targeted sanctions against human rights abusers in Iran’s government
2011 – Secured multiple-entry visas – making it easier for Iranian students to study in the U.S.
2011 – Helped establish the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights on Iran
2012 – Challenged Apple for discriminatory practices against Iranian Americans
2013 – Eased sanctions on VPNs, cell phones, and other communications technology for Iranians
2013 – Secured permanent sanctions exemption for humanitarian organizations
2014 – Blocked broad sanctions legislation aimed at killing nuclear diplomacy
2014 – Protected historical Persian artifacts from being seized
2014 – Protected Iranians students’ right to a bank account
2015 – Championed the historic 2015 Iran nuclear deal to remove broad sanctions on the Iranian people, prevent war, and ensure Iran would not obtain nuclear weapons
2015 – Reversed discriminatory college admittance policies
2015 – Formed NIAC Action
2016 – Delivered 100,000 messages to Congress to fight against discriminatory visa waiver program legislation
2017 – Joined and supported litigation to halt Trump’s Muslim Ban
2018 – Reversed US Postal Service policy so that mail could once again be sent from U.S. to Iran
2019 – Secured DNC resolution calling for a return to the Iran Deal
2019 – Secured agreements from 2020 Presidential candidates to return to Iran Deal
2019 – Secured first-ever Congressional hearing on the Muslim Ban
2019 – Formally petitioned the Treasury Department and Bank of America to end discriminatory bank account closures targeting Iranian Americans
2019 – Blocked efforts to dismantle the green card process for Iranians
2019 – Petitioned the Trump administration to lift restrictions on Internet tools during Iran’s “Bloody November”
2020 – Helped secure House passage of H.Res. 752, condemning the Iranian government’s brutal November crackdown and calling for new steps to support internet freedom
2020 – NIAC Action conducted the largest-ever Iranian-American voter outreach and registration campaign in history, with nearly 300 volunteers reaching over 70,000 Iranian-American voters.
2020 – Secured commitment from eventual Democratic nominee Joe Biden to end the Muslim Ban on Day One of his administration
2020 – Delivered bipartisan No War with Iran legislation sent to the President’s desk
2020 – Helped secure strong Congressional letter calling for humanitarian relief of sanctions amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran
2021 – Ensured Muslim Ban was rescinded on Day 1, following Joe Biden commitment to NIAC Action PAC
2021 – Authored new report on internet freedom in Iran and US policy, and held expert panel with human rights and tech experts
2022 – Organized letter from diaspora and humanitarian groups warning of humanitarian harm of sanctions amid pandemic
2022 – Launched NIAC A cad emies to build the next generation of Iranian-American civic leaders
2022 – Secured new license for internet free dom in opening days of protests following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini
2023 – Blocked Texas Senate Bill 147, which would have banned Iranians and other immigrant communities from the right to buy a home or property.