President's Message
Dear John,
What happened in New York this week wasn’t just another election. Zohran Mamdani’s victory [[link removed]] was built by everyday people who refused to accept fear and militarism as the price of politics. As I write in our Substack NIAC Insights [[link removed]] , it can be the beginning of an overdue paradigm shift in our politics. Iranian Americans, Palestinian Americans, South Asians, working-class New Yorkers, and more organized across communities and proved that dignity and justice are not fringe values, they’re the foundation of a new political reality.
That same struggle for dignity runs through everything in this newsletter. While communities in New York were building people power, others across the country are facing ICE detention, deportation, and surveillance. In recent weeks, new reporting has exposed secret deportations of Iranians and the expansion of Trump-era policies that criminalize our existence. Online, disinformation networks tied to Israel [[link removed]] continue to target Iranians, Iranian Americans, and anti-war advocates to divide our movement for peace and justify violence.
Our work continues to meet these moments head-on. Our NIAC Insights [[link removed]] platform cuts through propaganda and sensationalism to deliver grounded analysis on U.S.-Iran policy and the realities our community faces. Our Travel Ban & Immigrant Justice Resource Center [[link removed]] and ICE Tracker [[link removed]] provide practical support to those most affected by unjust policies.
You’ll also find upcoming events that show our movement’s breadth and determination – from AIPAC’s Worst Nightmare [[link removed]] in New York City to the March for Gaza [[link removed]] , where we’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with partners demanding an end to U.S. complicity in war crimes and a foreign policy rooted in justice, not imperialism and militarism.
The forces we’re up against are powerful, but they are not invincible. Zohran’s win proves that. The people won this week. Now it’s on us to keep building.
👉 Make a donation this fall [[link removed]] to power our fight for diplomacy, peace, and civil rights.
👉 Subscribe to NIAC Insights today [[link removed]] to receive trusted updates in your inbox.
In Solidarity,
Jamal Abdi NIAC Action Executive Director[[link removed]]
Zohran's Win Was About Breaking the Israel Lobby's Occupation of Our Politics, by Jamal Abdi
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Zohran's Win Was About Breaking the Israel Lobby's Occupation of Our Politics [[link removed]]
November 7, 2025 – NIAC President Jamal Abdi hailed Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in New York City as a breakthrough against what he described as “the Israel lobby’s occupation of our politics.” In his NIAC Insights essay, Abdi wrote that Mamdani “refused to be shamed out of his identity or his convictions,” rejecting the decades-old expectation that any “change candidate” must ultimately accommodate the Lobby.
Abdi emphasized that Mamdani’s victory, driven by tens of thousands of grassroots volunteers, demonstrates that Americans can challenge entrenched power and win. “The Israel lobby’s occupation of our politics is not total – and it can be challenged and defeated,” he wrote, calling the moment a step toward restoring political agency and building a U.S. foreign policy rooted in peace, justice, and equality.
Iranian Missile Impacts in Israel Underscore Costs of War, by Ryan Costello
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Iranian Missile Impacts in Israel Underscore Costs of War [[link removed]]
November 7, 2025 – NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello warned in his NIAC Insights essay that the June war between Israel and Iran revealed “the devastating costs of escalation on both sides,” and that claims of a cost-free war are dangerously misguided. Despite Israel’s initial successes and censorship on the war’s internal toll, Costello emphasized that “Iran’s ability to land powerful missile strikes deep inside Israel — even after being heavily bombarded — demonstrates that no side can escape the human and material destruction of another war.”
His analysis calls for urgent efforts to prevent renewed conflict and to resist those advocating repeated strikes that would “only mean more dead civilians, more shattered homes, and more instability for the region.”
More from NIAC Insights
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Subscribe to NIAC Insights! [[link removed]]
NIAC Insights: [[link removed]] “ Zohran’s Win Was About Breaking the Israel Lobby’s Occupation of Our Politics ,” by NIAC President Jamal Abdi.
NIAC Insights: [[link removed]] “ Iranian Missile Impacts in Israel Underscore Costs of War ,” by NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello.
NIAC Insights: [[link removed]] “ Will the ‘12 Day War’ Reignite? ” by NIAC Policy Director Ryan Costello.
NIAC Insights: [[link removed]] “ When Van Jones Blamed ‘Iranian Propaganda ,’ the Real Propaganda Was Coming from Israel,” by NIAC President Jamal Abdi.
Making Headlines: Our Work in the Media
Newsweek: [[link removed]] “ Mamdani Defeats Cuomo and Sliwa to Win New York City Mayoral Election ,” featuring NIAC Action President Jamal Abdi.
Middle East Eye: [[link removed]] “ Iranian press review: Mamdani’s New York victory stirs debate ,” featuring NIAC’s Human Rights Tracker [[link removed]] .
Prism: [[link removed]] “ Arrested for being Iranian: How a war in the Middle East gave ICE new targets at home ,” featuring NIAC Action Organizing Manager Etan Mabourakh.
IPI Global Observatory: [[link removed]] “ To Confront Authoritarianism and Militarism, WPS Advocates Must Form a Broader Movement for Peace ,” featuring NIAC.
Newsbreak: [[link removed]] “ Hundreds of Iranians Face Deportation Under New Policy ,” featuring NIAC President Jamal Abdi.
Knewz: [[link removed]] “ Trump Admin Sends 100 Iranians Back To Tehran In Secret Deal ,” featuring NIAC President Jamal Abdi.
Peace & Diplomacy
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No War with Iran Action Hub [[link removed]]
NIAC’s centralized platform delivers timely updates, analysis, and calls to action to mobilize public pressure, especially through Congress, against U.S. or allied military escalation toward Iran.
NIAC Action Congratulates Zohran Mamdani on Victory in New York City Mayoral Race [[link removed]]
November 5, 2025 – NIAC Action congratulated Zohran Mamdani on his historic victory as Mayor of New York City, calling it a defining moment for a new generation rejecting militarism and oppression in favor of people-centered politics rooted in justice, equality, and dignity.
Israeli AI Disinformation Operations Targeted Iranians and Our Community [[link removed]]
October 10, 2025 – NIAC exposed new findings from Citizen Lab and Haaretz revealing Israeli government-linked disinformation campaigns targeting Iranians and anti-war advocates to manufacture consent for war and divide the diaspora, reaffirming NIAC’s long-standing warning that such operations threaten civil rights, safety, and truth.
کمپین دروغ‌پراکنی اسرائیل [[link removed]]
NIAC Statement on Israel and Gaza Ceasefire [[link removed]]
October 9, 2025 – NIAC welcomed the ceasefire to halt Israel’s bombing of Gaza and secure the release of hostages, crediting sustained diplomatic pressure while urging vigilance against renewed escalation with Iran and calling on President Trump to double down on diplomacy to prevent a wider regional war.
47 Organizations Condemn Senator Bennet and Hickenlooper’s Votes Against Blocking Weapons Sales to Israel [[link removed]]
October 7, 2025 – NIAC’s Colorado Chapter, alongside 46 partner organizations, condemned Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for voting to approve weapons transfers to Israel amid its assault on Gaza, urging them to oppose future arms sales, condition U.S. military aid, and support an immediate ceasefire and restoration of humanitarian aid.
Civil Rights
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Travel Ban and Immigrant Justice Resource Center [[link removed]]
NIAC's Travel Ban & Immigrant Justice Resource Center supports Iranian Americans facing growing threats, from ICE raids and deportations to travel bans and denaturalization. The center offers legal resources, know-your-rights guides, and tools to take action.
نسخه فارسی راهنما را اینجا بخوانید [[link removed]]
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ICE Tracker [[link removed]]
Our team created and is maintaining a regularly updated community tracker of publicly available information on Iranian nationals detained by ICE in 2025. This is not a complete list, and does not reflect full data on all Iranian nationals detained by ICE.
Iran Unfiltered
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Iran Faces the Driest Autumn in 57 Years Amid Escalating Water Crisis [[link removed]]
November 6, 2025 – Iran is confronting its driest and hottest autumn in nearly six decades, with collapsing reservoir levels, crop failures, and major cities like Tehran on the brink of “Day Zero.” Experts warn that mismanagement, climate change, and dwindling rainfall have converged into a national emergency threatening millions with water shortages, energy disruptions, and deepening poverty.
U.S.–Iran Divide on Negotiations Remains Wide [[link removed]]
November 7, 2025 – Renewed talk of U.S.–Iran diplomacy has been met with entrenched mistrust and hardened positions on both sides. While Trump claims Tehran is seeking a deal and Ayatollah Khamenei insists cooperation is impossible without ending U.S. militarism and support for Israel, officials in both capitals appear locked in a “strategic patience” standoff — signaling through intermediaries but unwilling to take the first step toward direct negotiation.
The Death of Omid Sarlak in Aligudarz: Conflicting Accounts and Unanswered Questions [[link removed]]
November 5, 2025 – An analysis of the suspicious death of Omid Sarlak, whose body was found hours after he burned a photo of Iran’s Supreme Leader, highlighting conflicting official accounts, allegations of political killing, and widespread public distrust amid renewed crackdowns on dissent.
Learn More
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Learn More
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Upcoming Events
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AIPAC's Worst Nightmare [[link removed]]
Join leading pro-peace organizers and advocates from Washington D.C. and New York City Friday, November 14 at 6:00 PM at The People's Forum as we connect the power of grassroots protest to real policy change in Washington. The movement to end U.S. complicity in war crimes and restore integrity to our foreign policy is surging.
Hosted by National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action and The People's Forum.
When: Friday, November 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM ET
Where: The Peoples Forum, 320 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018
RSVP here. [[link removed]]
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March for Gaza [[link removed]]
Join Brooklyn community members, activists, and advocates for peace as we call on Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries to stand with the vast majority of voters in demanding equality, sovereignty, and justice. We will peacefully march from Hakeem Jeffries' home to Charles Schumer's home t o demand that they represent the will of their voters and not the interests of the Israel lobby or AIPAC.
Where: Washington Avenue & Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY
When: Saturday, November 8, 2025
RSVP here. [[link removed]]
Local NIAC Chapters are planning events and building power across the country.
➡️ Sign up with your local volunteer-led chapter [[link removed]] if you haven’t already!
Stay Engaged: NIAC Online
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FOLLOW NIAC [[link removed]] AND JAMAL ABDI [[link removed]] ON TIKTOK
Support Our Work
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