Media

Topic

Iran

Sounding the Alarm on Iran's Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons and its Support for International Terrorism.

Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons capability, its support for international terrorism, its efforts to subvert and attack its neighbors and its collusion with the murderous Assad regime in Syria jeopardize global peace and security.

For decades, AJC has been sounding the alarm on the Iranian threat. After several weeks of careful considerations, AJC decided in 2015 to oppose the Joint and Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Rather than dismantling Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, as was the original objective, the agreement puts only a temporary freeze on the program while validating Iran’s future status as a nuclear threshold state.

Since the JCPOA is now in place, AJC advocacy continues to focus on two areas:

  1. Ensuring that the international community has the mechanisms in place to enforce the nuclear deal’s restrictions—as temporary and limited as they are—to intrusively monitor Iranian behavior, and reimpose sanctions in the event of any violation.
  2. Highlighting the need to confront Tehran’s regional aggression, the worsening human rights abuses at home and its support for international terrorism. Within this context, we consider it of critical importance to place the entire Hezbollah terror group, which is funded and controlled by Iran, on the EU terror list.

Related events

May 10, 2022

Raisi, the IRGC and Iran’s Future Direction of Travel

In partnership with MEP David Lega (EPP, Sweden) and MEP Frédérique Ries (Renew Europe, Belgium), the AJC Transatlantic Institute hosted Kasra Aarabi, Senior Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in the European Parliament. Aarabi and MEP Lega discussed a wide range of issues: Iran’s military and security forces with a focus on Shia Militias across the Middle East and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the rise of ‘Imam Sadeghis’ – a cohort of highly indoctrinated technocrats that are just as zealous as the IRGC - and the EU attempts to make sense of the Raisi government and negotiate a new nuclear deal in Vienna.
July 17, 2020

Launch of Transatlantic Declaration: The EU Must Ban Hezbollah

On the twin anniversary eve of Hezbollah's bomb attacks in Argentina (1994) and Bulgaria (2012), the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) called on the EU to finally ban the terror group. The declaration was covered by global media outlets including POLITICO Europe, The Hill, Die Welt, Gazeta Wyborcza and The Jerusalem Post . At the virtual launch event, TFI Chair MEP Lukas Mandl, TFI Vice Chair MEP Dietmar Köster, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal, and the Washington Institute’s Hezbollah expert Matthew Levitt discussed the initiative’s impact. AJC CEO David Harris delivered concluding remarks.
March 20, 2019

40 Years of Theocracy in Iran: Regional Policy and Global Ambitions

Hosted by MEP Ramona Nicole Mănescu, the AJC Transatlantic Institute co-organized with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) a conference in the European Parliament entitled "40 Years of Theocracy in Iran: Regional Policy and Global Ambitions." AJC CEO David Harris delivered concluding remarks.

Media

06/02/2014

Counterpoint: Middle East News Round-Up

On this week's Middle East News Round-Up, Daniel Schwammenthal (Director, AJC Transatlantic Institute) and Roland Freudenstein (Deputy Director, Centre for European Studies) join Joshua Goodman to discuss whether Bashar al-Assad will meet the deadline for relinquishing his...

28/11/2013

Counterpoint: Five Questions on the Iran Deal

While a deal may have been reached over Iran's nuclear programme, many questions still remain. Counterpoint host Joshua Goodman poses 5 questions about the deal to Daniel Schwammenthal (Director, AJC Transatlantic Institute) and Jan Techau (Director, Carnegie Europe).

28/11/2013

Counterpoint: The Iran Deal from Israel's Perspective

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the nuclear deal with Iran by calling it a "historic mistake," a criticism echoed by many in his cabinet. But was this a wise reaction? Joshua Goodman, Daniel Schwammenthal (Director, AJC Transatlantic Institute) and Jan...

27/11/2013

Counterpoint: Does the EU Deserve Praise for the Iran Deal?

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has been highly lauded for her role in securing a deal with Iran. But does she and the EU overall deserve such praise? Host Joshua Goodman poses that question and more to in-house experts Daniel Schwammenthal (Director, AJC...

21/11/2013

Counterpoint: Middle East News Round-Up

Host Joshua Goodman discusses the bombings in Beirut, the state of lawlessness in the Sinai, a hot mic incident at the UN, and medical diplomacy with Jan Techau (Director of Carnegie Europe) and Roland Freudenstein (Deputy Director of the Centre for European Studies).

20/11/2013

Counterpoint: Why is Iran the Only One Talking Tough?

As officials from the P5+1 and Iran renewed negotiations, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was taking a hard line on the talks saying Tehran would not back down "one iota". Joshua Goodman asks Jan Techau (Director, Carnegie Europe) and Roland Freudenstein (Deputy Director,...

13/11/2013

Counterpoint: Who Blocked a Deal with Iran?

Officials from the P5+1 and Iran met in Geneva over the weekend to continue their pursuit of a deal over the latter's nuclear program. Despite rumblings that something was in the works, all sides left Switzerland empty-handed. Media reports have since suggested that France...

13/11/2013

Judy Asks: Can We Believe in a Deal With Iran? (Strategic Europe)

Judy Asks: Can We Believe in a Deal With Iran?

Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute:

We can believe in a deal with Iran,...

17/10/2013

Remarks: TAI Director Daniel Schwammenthal addresses European Parliament Hearing on Iranian Nuclear Program

"Verify Before Trust—How to Engage Iran in the Nuclear Negotiations"

European Parliament Hearing on Iranian Nuclear Program

17 October 2013

Daniel Schwammenthal: "...

16/10/2013

Counterpoint: Can Iran Divide the West?

Iran's new government has stated publicly that its strategy in nuclear negotiations is to break the unified US-EU front. Can they do so? Joshua Goodman talks to Daniel Schwammenthal (Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute) and Roland Freudenstein (Deputy Director of the...