The Honorable Bob Corker
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
The Honorable Ed Royce
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs
U.S. House of Representatives
With the presidential transition now complete, the time has come for a complete reassessment of U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Americans of Iranian heritage and Iranian dissidents, we see such a rethink as a necessary first step in realizing President Donald Trump’s vision of putting America’s national security interests first.
Specifically, we write to request a congressional hearing on the efforts of Tehran’s theocratic regime to influence U.S. policy and public diplomacy toward Iran. We ask that you launch an investigation into any and all lobbying activities of Iranian-American groups, which ostensibly promote the interests of our community but whose real goal is to undermine long-term U.S. national-security interests in Iran and its neighborhood.
We also ask that you launch an inquiry into the Voice of America’s Persian service, whose bloated budget is the largest of all language services under the VOA. There have been numerous instances of editorials by the VOA’s Persian service that have been lenient or favorable to Iran’s clerical despots. We consider this to be totally unacceptable and demoralizing for pro-democracy Iranians who watch these broadcasts.
We stand ready to provide any and all support that you and your colleagues may require for such hearings. We appreciate your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Peter Kohanloo, President, Iranian American Majority (IAM)
Abdolreza Ahmadi, Board Chairman, Association for the Promotion of Open Society
Afshin Afshin Jam, Political and Human Rights Activist
Ahmad Eshghyar, Engineer and Co-founder of Iranian Liberal Students & Graduates
Ahmad Mazahery, Activist
Ali Asghar Haghdar, Hellman-Hammett Award-Winning Writer and Political Refugee
Ali Ashtari PhD, Electrical Engineering Researcher
Ali Kimiai, New York Persian Parade
Ali Nazari, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Digital Media Professional
Alireza Kiani, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Member, ILSG
Amir Ezati, Writer and Filmmaker
AmirHossein Etemadi, Executive Director, International Center for Liberalism Studies
AmirYahya Ayatollahi, Researcher in Iranian Studies
Aram Hessami PhD, Professor, Montgomery College
Ardeshir Zarezadeh, Executive Director, International Center for Human Rights
Ashkan Yazdchi, Fmr. Political Prisoner
Avideh MotmaenFar DO, Human Rights Activist
Babak Ejlali, Political Activist
Bahman Amirhosseini, Political Activist
Bahman Zahedi, Activist
Banafsheh Zand, Political Analyst and Activist
Bardiya Ahoorai, Political Activist
Behieh Jailani, Sociologist
Behrouz Khosrozadeh, Political Scientist
Behzad Mehrani, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Political Activist
Cyrus S. Shahrazi, Entrepreneur and Activist
Damon Golriz, Research Fellow, Int’l Peace, Justice & Security, The Hague University
Danesh Foroughi, Psychologist
Daniel Jafari, Physician
Daniel Tousi, Political Activist
Esfandyar Khalaf, Political Analyst
Farid Khavari, Economist
Farshad Doustipour, Political Activist
Farzad Farahani, Television Host and Activist
Firouzeh Ghaffarpour, Political Analyst and Activist
Foad Pashaie, Fmr. Secretary General, Constitutionalist Party of Iran
Fred Saberi, Human Rights Activist
George Haroonian, Activist
Haideh Tavackoli, Activist
Hamed Sheibanyrad, Research Fellow, French National Center for Scientific Research
Hamid Alizadeh, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Board Member, IAM
Hanif HosseinDoust, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Political Activist
Hassan Mansoor PhD, Professor, American Graduate School of Business & Economics
Heidar Boroumand MD
Hossein Khorram, Real Estate Developer
Houman David Hemmati MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, USC Keck School of Medicine
Kambiz Soltanein, Journalist
Kaveh Shirzad, Civil Rights Activist
Kaveh Taheri, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Journalist
Kevin Fatemi, Engineer
Khosrow Akmal PhD, Fmr. Iranian Ambassador to Australia
Khosrow Beitollahi, Secretary General, Constitutionalist Party of Iran
Mahboubeh Hoseinpour, Political Activist
Majid Mohammadi, Sociologist
Mansoureh Nasserchian, Human Rights Activist
Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, Human Rights Activist
Marjan Mohsenin, Accountant
Maryam Moazenzadeh, Human Rights Activist
Maryam Moghaddam, Human Rights Activist
Masood Masjoodi, Mathematician and Political Activist
Masoumeh Mohammadinia, Radio Host
Mehdi Jalali Tehrani, Researcher
Mehrdad Rahbar, Architect and Artist
Meisam Mehrani, Human Rights Activist and Member, ILSG
Mohammad Izadi, Essayist
MohammadReza Heydari, Fmr. Consul of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Norway
Nader Zahedi PhD, Undersecretary General, Constitutionalist Party of Iran
Nikahang Kowsar, Journalist and Cartoonist
Nima Rashedan, Political Analyst and Digital Democracy Researcher
Pari Asgari, Radio Host
Parivash Saadati, Political Activist
Pooya Dayanim, Esq., President, Iranian Jewish Public Affairs Committee
Ramin Parham PhD, Author and Political Analyst
Reza Parchizadeh, Political Theorist and Analyst
Rouzbeh Meshkinkhat, Secretary General, Proud Iran Party
Roxanne Ganji, Political Analyst and Activist
Roya Araghi PhD, Fmr. Prisoner of Conscience and Human Rights Activist
Saba Farzan, Executive Director, Foreign Policy Circle and Board Member, IAM
Salman Sima, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Member, ILSG
Samuel Toca, Social Activist and Artist
Shabnam Assadollahi, Writer and Human Rights Activist
Shayan Arya, Member, Constitutionalist Party of Iran and Human Rights Activist
Sheema Kalbasi, Human Rights Activist
Shirin Tabibzadeh, Activist
Siavash Afshar, President, California Pacific Regional Center
Siavash Safavi, Fmr. Political Prisoner and Comedian
Sima Tajdini, Artist and Journalist
Slater Bakhtavar, Attorney and Senator, National Iranian Congress
Youhan Najdi PhD, Executive Director, Association for the Promotion of Open Society
Zaman Feyli, Journalist
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