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ACTION 4: Stop the Normalization: Demand Media Accountability and End the "Iranian Lobby" Façade
A Call to Action for Iranian-Americans and Human Rights Advocates
The Transparency Crisis In a recent broadcast of the Iranian program Dialogue, a revealing exchange took place between figures deeply embedded in the Islamic Republic’s academic and media circles. Foad Izadi (Associate Professor at Tehran University) and Bijan Abdolkarimi (an intellectual often seen defending the state’s political order) discussed the strategic necessity of an "Iranian Lobby" in the United States.
The Smoking Gun [50:20] During this segment, the speakers did not treat "lobbying" as a theory, but as a specific tool of statecraft. Most notably:
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Explicit Naming: They explicitly linked the concept of an "Iranian Lobby" to Trita Parsi and the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).
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The Rouhani Directive: They recalled former President Hassan Rouhani’s open desire to establish an "Iranian lobby" in the U.S. to mirror Israeli and Arab structures.
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A Shared Ecosystem: From their perspective—operating within the establishment—these organizations and individuals are viewed as part of the same political ecosystem intended to influence U.S. policy in favor of the current regime's interests.
Why This Matters For years, organizations like NIAC have claimed to represent the Iranian-American grassroots. However, when the Islamic Republic’s own commentators and state-aligned academics discuss them as their "lobby" in Washington, the mask of independence falls.
Figures like Foad Izadi are not objective observers; they are the voices of the establishment. When they validate the existence of this lobby, they are confirming what activists have warned about for decades: a coordinated effort to manipulate Western perception while the Iranian people suffer under repression.
ACTION PLAN: What You Can Do Now
ACTION PLAN: What You Can Do Now
We must ensure that those who carry water for the Islamic Republic are no longer given unvetted platforms in Western media or academic "tribunals" where they can launder state narratives.
1. Email the "Relevant People" Send a formal complaint to the boards of directors and ethics committees of major media outlets, think tanks, and universities that host these individuals.
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Subject Line: Urgent: Accountability Regarding State-Linked Narratives and "Lobby" Disclosures
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The Message: Demand that these institutions investigate the links discussed by Izadi and Abdolkarimi. Ask why figures associated with a regime that suppresses its own people are given platforms to influence U.S. policy without full disclosure of their alignment as discussed in Iranian state-linked media.
2. Challenge the Narrative on Social Media Share the link to the Dialogue episode and point specifically to the 50:20 timestamp.
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Caption: "When the Islamic Republic’s own insiders call you their lobby, the 'grassroots' claim is dead. Watch Foad Izadi and Bijan Abdolkarimi discuss Trita Parsi and the NIAC ecosystem. #NoToLobbyists #IranFreedom"
3. Support Independent Voices Redirect your support to organizations that prioritize the human rights of Iranians over the sanctions-relief-at-any-cost agenda of the "lobby."
Conclusion We cannot allow the Islamic Republic to build its "tribunals" and influence spheres in our backyard. The speakers in this video have admitted the plan. It is up to us to stop it.
Watch the full discussion here: YouTube - Dialogue Iran