Petition Title
National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Does Not Represent Oppressed Iranians. Stop Repeating the Islamic Republic Narrative

Petition Summary
After the massacre and mass repression of Iranian protesters, clarity is not optional. NIAC claims to speak for Iranian Americans and to support the Iranian people, yet its messaging repeatedly mirrors Islamic Republic narratives by shifting blame onto the United States while failing to clearly condemn the regime responsible for killing and imprisoning Iranians.

This petition calls on NIAC to stop misrepresenting Iranians, stop spreading regime aligned narratives, and publicly condemn the Islamic Republic and the IRGC.

 
The Iranian people have endured decades of oppression under the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the most recent wave of protests, the regime responded with brutal violence, mass arrests, torture, and killings. Thousands of Iranians have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested or disappeared. Families across Iran continue to live with grief, fear, and trauma.

The Islamic Republic and the IRGC are responsible for this repression.

In this context, messaging about Iran is not neutral. It has consequences.

NIAC has repeatedly promoted messaging that centers US actions such as sanctions or military pressure, while failing to clearly and consistently condemn the Islamic Republic’s crimes. One example is NIAC’s slogan:

“Iran’s Future Must Be Decided By Iranians. Not Bombs and Sanctions.”

This framing may sound peaceful, but it mirrors the regime’s own narrative. The Islamic Republic regularly claims that Iranian suffering is caused by the United States and that the US must be held accountable, while it calls Iranian protests “sedition” and violently crushes dissent.

When NIAC focuses on “bombs and sanctions” but remains silent or vague about the regime’s massacres, executions, and repression, it shifts blame away from the true oppressor. It implies the main obstacle to Iranian freedom is Washington, not Tehran.

Many Iranians view this messaging as propaganda because it protects the Islamic Republic from accountability and undermines the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom.

NIAC does not speak for oppressed Iranians. In practice, NIAC messaging functions as a public relations shield for the Islamic Republic and amplifies the same narratives used by the regime to deflect responsibility for its crimes.

 
What We Demand
We call on NIAC to immediately:

Publicly and explicitly condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran as a violent authoritarian regime
Publicly and explicitly condemn the IRGC for repression and violence against Iranian civilians
Condemn political imprisonment, torture, and executions in Iran with clear language
Stop presenting itself as a representative voice for Iranian Americans or Iranian people
Stop using messaging that centers US actions while minimizing or ignoring regime crimes
Publish a clear statement supporting Iranian protesters, political prisoners, and victims of state violence
 
Closing Statement
After the killing of Iranian protesters and the mass repression of an entire generation, silence is not neutrality.

Any organization claiming to represent Iranians must be clear about who the oppressor is.

Until NIAC clearly condemns the Islamic Republic and stops repeating regime aligned narratives, it must not claim to represent Iranians. NIAC is not the voice of oppressed Iranians. It functions as the voice of the Islamic Republic’s narrative.