In its first months in office, the Biden administration has signaled its eagerness to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. This would be a mistake. For years, pundits have warned that Iran is on the brink of a nuclear breakout that can only be prevented through diplomatic concessions to Tehran. These fears have never come to fruition, but the threat of Iranian nuclear proliferation has routinely led Washington down the path of appeasing Iran—most notably through the Obama administration’s nuclear deal. While a nuclear Iran would be a catastrophic threat to American interests, overfocusing on the nuclear issue risks blinding policymakers to more immediate concerns such as missile proliferation, terrorism, and human rights... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique and acute challenges to the world. Many democratic countries have successfully responded to contain the crisis. Iran’s regime, on the other hand, has reared its ugly head yet again by deflecting responsibility and downplaying the virus, opting instead to blame the United States and economic sanctions for the ongoing public health crisis in the country.

According to the latest data, over 70,000 Iranians have died due to the regime’s incompetence in handling the outbreak. Considering the country’s population size and its startling death count, Iran now has the second highest mortality rate in the world... Read More

The tragic death of George Floyd created a beautiful moment of international solidarity. From Idlib, Syria to Berlin, Germany, protesters have expressed empathy and support for Black Americans fighting racial injustice. But while it is important to recognize this solidarity, we also cannot overlook the hypocritical attempts by authoritarian regimes to hijack the movement for their own gain.

The opportunistic mullahs in Iran have quickly jumped on growing social animosity in the United States to shape their own political narratives... Read More

Los Angeles, CA - I spoke on a panel at the 2020 Free Iran Convention. I shared the stage with prominent Iranian-American activists and distinguished speakers Senator Robert Torricelli, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Professor Ivan Sacha Sheehan, and General James Conway.
The convention, which was attended by 1,200+ Iranian-Americans, was focused on supporting the Iranian protesters in the November 2019 uprisings. The speakers focused on various topics related to human rights including women's rights, Iran's economic mismanagement, and democratic movements within the country.
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My comments on the Organization of Iranian-American Communities' webinar (June 13, 2020) on the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran and the Iranian regime's mismanagement of resources during the public health crisis.
The panel was moderated by Amir Emadi and also included Dr. Azadeh Sami
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My performance of the song Sekeh Mah as a tribute to the Iranian singer Marjan who passed away in June 2020. Marjan was a celebrated actor and singer in Iran and was a dedicated human rights activist.
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