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. On Sunday, May 19, 2024, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash at age 63,
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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Five Things to Know About President Raisi and Human Rights in Iran and Beyond
‘Crimes Against Humanity:’ Another UN Report Finds Sexual Violence by IRGC and Other Authorities in Iran; Similar to Crimes by Hamas
Murder, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, rape, persecution, and enforced disappearance are among the crimes the Iranian regime inflicted against thousands of its citizens who dared to voice their opposition to the regime’s systematic discrimination against women and girls.
Get the Facts About Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
Iran launched a wave of more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in its first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Why is it Designated a Terror Group by the United States?
On April 1, an alleged Israeli airstrike near Iran's embassy in Damascus, Syria, reportedly killed seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terror organization. Among those killed was a top IRGC commander, Mohammad Reza Zahedi.
AJC's Jason Isaacson on the Danger of Iran's Terror Proxies
Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, spoke with India Today on how Iran’s extensive terror network threatens India, the entire region, and the world. Isaacson also discusses the importance of Israel defending itself and defeating Hamas.
Hezbollah, Hamas, and More: Iran's Terror Network Around the Globe
Here’s a primer on more than a dozen proxy terror groups that have taken their orders from the Iranian regime, threatening civilian lives around the world.
A Spider Web of Terror: How Iran’s Axis of Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas Threaten Israel and America
This week President Biden re-designated Yemen’s Houthis as a global terrorist group amid its increasing attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the Hezbollah terror group continues to threaten Israel's northern border, and the Israel-Hamas war continues as Hamas still holds more than 100 Israeli hostages taken on 10/7.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
People of the Pod: High Stakes: What’s Next for U.S. Policy on Iran?
Have American, European, and Israeli policymakers learned anything since signing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal? We sat down this week with AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal, and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to analyze what the next few months could bring. We were also joined by AJC CEO David Harris for a closing message on Iran.
People of the Pod: What You Should Know About the Iran Nuclear Talks
Earlier this month, six world powers reopened negotiations with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the United States withdrew in 2018. Washington Institute Director of Research Patrick Clawson, a longtime friend of American Jewish Committee, joins us to discuss the implications of those talks and the threat posed by Iran.
5 Things Everyone Needs to Know About the Iran Nuclear Talks
The talks in Vienna offer the prospect of a better deal with binding, enduring restrictions on Iran’s production, stockpile, and use of enriched uranium, with unhindered international monitoring, as well as on its ballistic missile development and destabilizing regional behavior.
People of the Pod: Intrigue in Iran and the Stories of Mizrahi Jews
Sima Shine, former head of the Mossad’s research division and current senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), joins us to discuss recent developments related to Iran, including the recent death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who headed the country’s nuclear weapons program.
