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Report: Obama White House Hosted Pro-JCPOA Iranians

Seyyed Hossein Mousavian
Seyyed Hossein Mousavian

Two vocal Iranian supporters of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers, including a former Islamic Republic official, were hosted at the White House when Barack Obama was president.

They had more than 30 meetings with top US officials at key junctures, according to White House visitor logs that provide a window into the former administration's outreach to leading pro-Iran advocates.

Seyyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat, was hosted at the White House at least three times, while Trita Parsi, an advocate of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, met with the Obama administration officials some 33 times, according to recently updated visitor logs, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Monday.   

Sources familiar with the nature of the meetings told the website that both Parsi and Mousavian helped the White House craft its pro-Iran messaging and talking points that helped lead to the nuclear agreement with Iran. These efforts were part of a larger pro-Iran deal "echo chamber" led by senior Obama administration officials.

Mousavian, who earlier served as Iran's spokesperson during negotiations with the international community on the Iran deal, met White House National Security Council official, Robert Malley, who advised the former president about the Middle East and the self-styled Islamic State terror group.

One unidentified Iran analyst who frequently works with the US Congress on the issue told Free Beacon, "In his writings and speeches, [Mousavian] repeats the echo chamber talking points by [pitching] the Iran deal, talking up … Iranian moderation," the source added. "No wonder White House officials found time for him."

Parsi, the head of National Iranian American Council, an outfit tied to the Obama White House that helped spearhead a pro-Iran narrative, met with several senior US officials during dozens of visits to the White House, the logs show.

This included private, one-on-one meetings with Obama adviser Ben Rhodes, who helmed what he described as the White House's pro-Iran deal "echo chamber", as well as meetings with Malley and Colin Kahl, national security adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden. 

Parsi also met with the White House NSC's director for Iran, its senior director, legislative liaisons and public engagement officials, according to sources familiar with the nature of these meetings.

Parsi expressed pride in his relationship with the Obama White House, telling the Free Beacon that attacks against his organization by Republicans and opponents of diplomacy of Iran did little to harm his status with the Obama team.

"I am delighted that you are highlighting my working relationship with the Obama White House as it demonstrates how all the attacks and false accusations made against my organization utterly failed to harm our credibility in Washington," Parsi said. 

Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon adviser, told the Free Beacon that the previous administration bent over backward to host pro-Iran advocates.

 

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