John -
Did you know that Iranian Americans face serious difficulty in sending gifts and other items to family and friends in Iran?
Since 2017, we’ve received numerous reports from people who’ve had lawful shipments to Iran unjustifiably turned away by the USPS.
The simple act of sending a letter or birthday present to a loved one is being halted without explanation or recourse. It’s time we put a stop to these unreasonable and discriminatory actions.
In January 2018, we called for the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to resolve this issue. Thankfully, we secured a direct commitment that USPS would be directed to process mail to Iran. However, while the situation slightly improved, we continue to hear from our members that they struggle to send mail to Iran.
We’re fed up and we demand answers.
Such acts are ironic considering the USPS is modeled after an extensive, ancient Persian mail delivery system. [[link removed]] The Persian empire fine-tuned the mail delivery system created by the Neo-Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians. They used vast roadways and skilled horsemen to deliver mail throughout their empire, regardless of weather or distance. Sound familiar?
If you or someone you know is trying to ship something to Iran from the U.S., read our helpful guide [[link removed]] to help ensure your package is safely delivered. Also, if you’re having trouble sending mail to Iran, let us know [[link removed]] as we continue our efforts to fix this.
I hope we can resolve this unacceptable challenge for Iranian-American community as soon as possible. We won’t rest until we do.
Ryan Costello
Policy Director, NIAC