Over 500 Prominent Iranian Americans Urge President Biden to maintain IRGC on the Foreign Terrorist Organization List

STORRS, Conn., April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday April 12, 2022, the Iranian Professionals' Ad Hoc Committee on Iran Policy sent an open letter signed by more than 500 prominent Iranian Americans to President Biden asking the administration to maintain the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).

The letter underscores that the IRGC is Tehran's instrument for terrorism abroad and repression of people on the streets of Iran. Prominent Iranian-American scientists, scholars, professors, physicians, industry executives professionals and successful entrepreneurs, stressed that "removing IRGC from the FTO list will project blatant disregard for the hope and legitimate struggle of Iranians for freedom and dignity."   The signatories emphasized, "For over a century, the people of Iran have struggled for freedom from the tyranny of the Shah (and his predecessors) and the mullahs currently ruling in Iran." The letter calls on the Biden Administration to stand with the Iranian people and their struggle for peace, freedom, and a non-nuclear republic Iran. 

Professor Kazem Kazerounian, one of the main organizers of the letter and leading coordinator of the Iranian Professionals' Ad Hoc Committee on Iran Policy, said, "While we welcome President Biden's opposition to remove IRGC from the FTO list, we remain vigilant and concerned about any concession toward Tehran's terrorist regime. There is no distinction between the IRGC or the Quds force. They operate as one unit to fund, promote and implement Khamenei's agenda. The current designation is justified and should remain intact."    

Information Technology leader and inventor, Ms. Sima Yazdani, stated,: "The letter reflects the views of many Iranian Americans who are in contact with their family members in Iran, many of whom are victims of IRGC's brutal repression at home."

Dr. Shahin Toutounchi, Distinguished Engineer from Lattice Semiconductor Corporation, added, "The Vienna talks only legitimize a brutal and terrorist regime in Tehran. No concessions should be offered to the mullahs, IRGC, or their murderous president Ebrahim Raisi. If anything, America must verifiably hold mullah's regime accountable for its human rights abuses at home, terrorism abroad, and destructive support for terrorist proxies in the region."

Since February 2021, the Committee has sent other open letters to President Biden, each signed by several hundreds of prominent Iranian Americans.

SOURCE Iranian Professionals' Ad Hoc Committee on Iran Policy