Everything You Need To Know About Threats Posed By Iran
American Jewish Committee (AJC) sounds the alarm on, and advocates against, the Iranian regime’s destructive and destabilizing role in the world, which includes repeated calls for the annihilation of Israel; support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah; dissemination of antisemitism; violation of the JCPOA (the agreement reached in July 2015 with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany); active assistance to the Assad regime in its murderous campaign against the Syrian people; expansionist interference in the internal affairs of other countries; and pervasive human rights abuses.
AJC, through our offices around the world, works every day to spur the international community to counter the Iranian threat.
The resources below include facts and key insights into Iran related topics.
To find answers to your questions about Iran’s destructive and destabilizing role in the world, use the search bar below and check boxes on the left to view articles, videos, podcasts, columns, eBooks, and more. Don’t see an answer to your question about Iran? Click here to let us know.
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AJC CEO Ted Deutch Statement on Iran Hostage Deal
I am thrilled for the Americans who will soon be reunited with their families after so many years. As the author of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (2020), I welcomed the sanctions leveled by the Administration against Ahmadinejad who notoriously oversaw the political hostage-taking of many Americans and foreign nationals, including my former constituent Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iran in 2007. Iran has still not accounted for Bob’s disappearance and tragic passing. The Levinson family deserves this justice.
AJC CEO Ted Deutch on Today's Announcement on Wrongfully Detained Americans in Iran
I am encouraged by the news that five Americans whose lives, and whose families’ lives, have been upended by Iran’s longstanding callous practice of political hostage-taking and wrongfully detaining foreign nationals for use as bargaining chips, are closer than ever before to coming home as a result of the agreement announced today.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Calls for More Action Against IRGC, Warns Iran Must Be Kept In Check To Thwart Nuclear Ambitions and Aiding Russia in Ukraine
Today at AJC Global Forum 2023, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said her nation stands with Israel in stemming the threat posed by Iran’s growing nuclear capability and promised her country would do its part to keep Iran’s nuclear ambitions in check.
The Top Five Reasons Why the UN Human Rights Council Needs to Hold Iran Accountable
The death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, at the hands of Iran’s “morality police” last year has spurred widespread protests over the last several weeks. The ensuing government crackdown on protestors and innocent bystanders has led to an alarming human rights situation and growing calls for the United States and the international community to mobilize to address these widespread abuses.
AJC Urges U.S. to Lead Efforts to Convene UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Iran Human Rights Abuses
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch, in a letter to President Biden, has urged the United States to mobilize the international community to convene a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council to address the Iranian regime’s deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters. AJC also launched today an online campaign, AJC.org/StopIranAbuses, encouraging individuals to sign a petition calling on the White House to take action detailed in Deutch’s letter to the president
Five Things to Know About President Raisi and Human Rights in Iran and Beyond
Since Raisi assumed the presidency, Iran’s repressive practices, targeting religious minorities, women human rights defenders, and others, have only deepened, notwithstanding expressions of alarm by international human rights experts.
The Forgotten Exodus: Iran
Author, journalist, and poet Roya Hakakian shares her personal story of growing up Jewish in Iran during the reign of the Shah and then Ayatollah Khomeini, which she wrote about in her memoir, "Journey From the Land of No." Joining Hakakian is Dr. Saba Soomekh, a professor of world religions and Middle Eastern history who wrote From the Shahs to Los Angeles: Three Generations of Iranian Jewish Women between Religion and Culture. She also serves as associate director of AJC Los Angeles, home to America’s largest concentration of Persian Jewish immigrants.
What a Restored Deal with Iran Could Mean for Israel and the Entire Middle East
Behnam Ben Talebu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to break down the specifics of the emerging Iranian nuclear deal and explain why the nuclear threat is only one element of the broader danger posed by Iran.
Introducing The Forgotten Exodus: A Limited Podcast Series From AJC
Listen to the trailer for The Forgotten Exodus, a limited podcast series brought to you by American Jewish Committee (AJC), explores the untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran.
AJC Presents Moral Courage Award to Masih Alinejad Introduced By Lisa Pruzan
At AJC Global Forum 2022, Lisa Pruzan, a member of AJC’s National Board of Governors and AJC’s Women’s Leadership Board, presented the AJC Moral Courage Award to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian activist who has dedicated her life to exposing the abuses of the Iranian regime, risking her life in the process to shed light on those human rights abuses and advocate for the Iranian women who are fighting bravely for a better future.
American Jewish Committee Presents Moral Courage Award to Masih Alinejad, Prominent Opponent of Iranian Regime
Masih Alinejad, one of the most outspoken opponents of the Islamic regime in Tehran, was honored today by American Jewish Committee (AJC) with the global advocacy organization’s Moral Courage Award. AJC honored Alinejad for her “moral, intellectual, and physical courage, extraordinary bravery, and commitment to the protection of human rights.”
People of the Pod: “We Lost a Lot of Leverage”: Freed Iranian Hostage Speaks Out on Iran Negotiations
The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who was held hostage by Iran for nearly two years and was released in a prisoner swap the day the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) went into effect, joins us to share his unique perspective on the reported nuclear deal emerging in negotiations between Tehran and world powers.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Why is it Designated a Terror Group by the United States?
Hezbollah and the IRGC have murdered civilians around the world. Holding terrorists accountable, whether it’s the Iranian regime or its proxy Hezbollah, sends a message to the rest of the world and puts in place key measures to ensure the U.S. is actively countering threats its safety and that of its allies.
As Iran Nuclear Deal Nears, AJC CEO David Harris Offers Four Ways America Can Get It Right
According to AJC CEO David Harris, here are four things the United States can do to try to ensure a restored Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) demonstrates a global front against Iran’s aggression.
Why Germany’s Iran Policy is Dangerous
In his latest interview with Germany’s BILD, the most-read newspaper in Europe, AJC CEO David Harris discusses Germany-Iran ties, Germany-Israel relations, COVID-19 conspiracy theories, Holocaust relativization and other current issues.
6 Human Rights Abuses Iran Hopes the World and U.S. Negotiators Ignore
Improving Iran’s human rights record must be among negotiators’ top priorities as they seek to restore a nuclear agreement.
Exposing Tehran’s Abuses with Iranian Activist Masih Alinejad - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
With Iran continuing its efforts to assert power in the Middle East, uncertainty looms for millions of people, especially women, whose rights are hanging in the balance. Join American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, author, and women’s rights campaigner, for a timely discussion on the evolving human rights situation and her efforts to highlight Tehran’s abuses.
People of the Pod: Hear From the Woman Iran Tried to Kidnap
Earlier this week, four Iranian operatives were charged in the attempted kidnapping of the U.S.-based Iranian exile Masih Alinejad, a human rights activist and journalist. Alinejad was kicked out of her native country nearly a decade ago for her anti-veiling advocacy. This week on the podcast, we’re joined by AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan Benzaquen, who recently interviewed Alinejad about her activism and the harrowing experiences she faced in Iran.
People of the Pod: The Butcher of Tehran; The Great Debate Over the West Bank
Last week, Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric known as “the Butcher of Tehran” for having overseen thousands of executions, was chosen to succeed Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president. Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Brussels-based Transatlantic Institute, joins us to discuss what Raisi’s selection means for the future of Iran and ongoing nuclear talks. We also hear from leading public Israeli intellectual Micah Goodman, who previously sat down with us on the podcast to discusses his book Catch-67, which focuses on “decreasing the conflict” until a permanent deal can be reached.
Bahrain Foreign Minister Addresses AJC Global Forum on Arab-Israel Peace, Iran Threat
His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, addressed a worldwide audience of thousands participating in the 2021 American Jewish Committee Virtual Global Forum. In a conversation with Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, the foreign minister discussed the historic Abraham Accords, Bahrain-U.S. relations, and the Iranian threat.
