The United States government is expected to investigate what is allegedly a covert Iranian propaganda operation on American soil, according to a request from Congress.
Republican Rep. Of New Mexico Yvette Herrell, and eight of her colleagues, sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking her to dig up and prosecute all Americans who are secretly paid to repeat the Tehran line to influence the Biden government policy and the US public opinion on the theocratic regime.
“Iran remains one of the biggest threats to the United States in the region. It is important to ensure that they do not misuse their money to influence politicians and thought leaders in our own government. Any influence used to soften the position of the United States in relation to the Iran threatens our national security. That is why my colleagues and I wrote this letter – to protect our national security and hold Iran accountable, “Herrell told Fox News.
Herrell’s warning comes after a Massachusetts political scientist, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in January of acting and conspiring to act as an unregistered Iranian agent. The feds say Afrasiabi portrayed himself as an objective Iranian expert in his interviews and in the media, including writing two opinion articles about Iran for The New York Times, while officials say he was on the payroll of Tehran to publicize the pro-regime party line. He was reportedly paid “approximately $ 265,000” by the Iranian Mission to the United Nations as “a secret official … who was being paid to spread his propaganda,” say the feds. He is accused of violating the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).
Herrell and the letter’s co-signers are asking the Biden government to create a special task force to “identify, track and arrest other Iranian citizens who violate FARA”, create a list of possible violations similar to the “FBI Most Wanted” list , establish an FBI office to focus on Iranian-influenced operations, as well as “investigate and monitor groups, charities and think tanks that obtain US government funding to ensure that American taxpayer money does not go directly or indirectly for those who are the Islamic Republic agents and lobbyists. “
“Iran is a sophisticated regime. They are trying to influence the political process and even politicians to benefit their interests and harm our own interests. The Trump administration held Iran accountable for its actions and took its threats seriously. Any slowdown in our position on Iran threatens our national security, “said Herrell.
“We are excited to hear more about this letter,” said activist Bryan E. Leib, executive director of Iranian Americans for Liberty. “Her letter sends a strong message that American lawmakers will not stand still while Iranians continue to operate illegally on American soil as unregistered agents in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
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Among those who co-signed the letter are Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, member of the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chairman of the House’s Black-Jewish Caucus, Minnesota Representative Jim Hagedorn, member of Supervision, Investigations and Regulations Subcommittee and Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas, member of the House’s Standing Intelligence Committee.
Leib said the Iranian regime has stepped up its influence operation as part of its efforts to pressure the Biden government to rejoin the Iranian nuclear deal, relax sanctions and soften US policy towards Tehran.
“Its ultimate goal is to neutralize the threat posed by the United States, sowing division, doubt and resentment,” Leib told Fox News. “The Islamic Republic’s main weapon is terror and their favorite tactic is murder. They made implicit and explicit threats to American Iranians for opposing them. The regime’s lobby has a long history of murdering Iranian-American characters that oppose the regime. “
The recent report on electoral interference by the US Director of National Intelligence said that the Iranian regime had engaged in a covert campaign of influence, in addition to Russia, to influence the 2020 presidential race. The report says that Tehran’s goal was hitting former President Trump “and promoting his long-standing goals by exacerbating divisions in the U.S., creating confusion and undermining the legitimacy of American elections and institutions.”
“We believe that supreme leader Ali Khamenei probably authorized Iran’s campaign of influence and that it was a whole effort by the government,” the agency said. “Tehran has planned its campaign to try to influence US policy towards Iran, to distract US leaders from internal issues and to amplify messages sympathetic to the Iranian regime.”
Leib said that Iran’s message is one that Iranian-Americans do not want to hear and that US lawmakers should ignore.
“Americans must understand that Iranians inside and outside Iran are extremely tired of this terror sponsorship regime in Iran,” he said. “Americans should know this, the vast majority of American Iranians are grateful immigrants who love and value the United States and the ideals of freedom and equality before the law, because they have had the unfortunate experience of living under the Islamic Republic.”
For his part, Afrasiabi denied the charges against him. In a statement to Fox News after his arrest, he said: “What I did according to UN standards was legal and transparent … and I had absolutely no clue that I was violating any US law. I never did. involved in any lobby “.
He also explained that his “advisory role for Iran covered his international affairs and I never deviated from my independent vocation as a political expert”.
But Leib and his group believe that a broader federal effort will finally expose what Iran has really been up to.
“We are confident with an official investigation, more unregistered agents of the Islamic Regime will be identified. We hope that appropriate measures will be taken, from the process to the expulsion, and termination of the status of permanent residence or citizenship to be sought.”
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Fox News asked the Iranian Mission to the United Nations for a reaction to the allegations of an operation of influence, but so far we have not received a response.
Fox News’ Ben Evansky contributed to this report.