IRAN’S SINISTER WEB OF INFLUENCE IN THE WEST

In September this year, the London-based TV station ‘Iran International’ and the news website ‘Semafor’, sent shockwaves through Europe and America when they revealed that an influential organization known as the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), which had consistently lobbied and advised EU governments and the European Parliament, was in fact fashioned and directed by Tehran, stirring profound implications for global diplomacy and security. Based on an avalanche of leaked emails, the two news organizations showed how the IEI had been created by the mullahs’ regime in 2014 “to improve Tehran’s image abroad”. So called ‘experts’ from the IEI had consistently peddled a misleading narrative designed by the mullahs, while also demonizing the main democratic opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its main component the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). 

The leaked emails exposed how the theocratic regime sought to use the IEI to build international ties with influential academics and researchers, penetrating governments, think tanks and advisory groups at the highest level and spreading the regime’s propaganda in the Western media. They revealed the disturbing fact that European governments and institutions were relying on analyses and recommendations for their policy on Iran provided by these IEI experts. The emails unmasked the Iranian regime’s covert initiative to advance Tehran’s interests, including its nuclear program, while diverting attention from its repugnant human rights record. The IEI experts listed in the emails were astounding. Emails dating back to the formation of the IEI in 2014 showed how Saeed Khatibzadeh, a senior advisor to former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, worked to meticulously cultivate relationships with overseas academics, scholars and researchers. 

At the forefront of the IEI operation in Germany is Adnan Tabatabai, co-founder and CEO of the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO). Tabatabai’s advocacy for the Iranian regime, showcased through his active participation in leading German media publications since 2016 and involvement in European Parliament events, has raised concerns about potential manipulation of public opinion and policy-making. Notably, he appeared at the Public Hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee “Strategic Partnership with the Gulf” on March 22, 2022, the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Iran on July 16, 2020, and “The EU Engagement and Human Rights in Iran,” hosted by MEP Jytte Guteland on March 6, 2018. Tabatabai’s involvement with the IEI since 2014 was exposed through the Semafor leaks.

Tabatabai has been known to disseminate misleading information, fabricating positive poll numbers to enhance the regime’s popularity. Under the guise of cultural exchanges, he promotes close relations with the regime, downplaying its repressive policies that have faced international condemnation. His advocacy for Western restraint during Iranian people’s protests aligns with the regime’s crackdown on dissent.

Rouzbeh Parsi, another IEI member, echoes the Iranian regime’s narratives across prominent European platforms, including the European Parliament, media outlets, and influential think tanks. His appearances in the European Parliament and contributions to reports have sparked debates about the regime’s influence on Europe’s policy decisions. In a 2016 report for the European Parliament, Parsi emphasized the potential benefits of a structured relationship between the European Union and the Iranian regime.

Parsi’s notable presence in the European Parliament includes high-profile appearances as a guest speaker. During his tenure as a Senior Analyst for the European Union Institute for Security Studies from 2009 to 2013, he promulgated the regime’s favourite narratives in prestigious European institutions, with over 61 policy papers authored, together with recognition by the French Defense Ministry Strategy Study Group.

Ellie Geranmayeh, another IEI member, has played a key role in shaping Europe’s approach to Iran since 2013. With over 140 published articles, policy papers, interviews, podcasts, and media contributions, her collaboration with Rouzbeh Parsi raises concerns about potential concerted efforts to influence Europe’s policies. Their joint involvement as key experts in Foreign Affairs Committee Public Hearing sessions suggests a coordinated strategy aligned with Iran’s interests.

Detailed examination of the leaked emails has further revealed how the IEI members were also vigorously engaged in attacking the Iranian opposition NCRI and MEK, claiming that they have no support within Iran and slandering the movement with a range of absurd allegations originating from Tehran. They parroted the traditional rhetoric from the mullahs arguing that the NCRI and MEK should not be seen as a viable democratic alternative to the current regime in Iran, declaring that the only realistic way forward was to resurrect the nuclear deal, lift sanctions and maintain dialogue and diplomacy with the mullahs’ regime. The patterns in the IEI’s narratives underscored the systematic nature of Iran’s propaganda machinery, demonstrating how they employed sophisticated strategies to manipulate public perception, both domestically and internationally. 

Indeed, in response to these developments, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament suspended one of its most senior political advisers, Eldar Mamedov, and referred him to the Belgian authorities. Mamedov, a Latvian national, had been serving as an S&D adviser to the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee for more than a decade. In his interactions with members of Parliament, Mamedov routinely echoed Tehran’s anti-MEK propaganda and authored numerous articles demonizing the MEK while downplaying the regime’s crimes and aggressive, warmongering regional conduct. He consistently adopted pro-Iranian regime positions, raising suspicions that he was an alleged clandestine spokesman for the mullahs. His case is now under investigation by the Belgian police.

For decades, Iran has been engaged in an intricate powerplay, using undercover means to shape policies in both Europe and the United States. The recent exposé of the IEI project is just a fragment of the wider web of influence woven by the Iranian regime. Through massive financial investments and the strategic cultivation of influential lobbies, Iran has persistently sought to sway the decision-making processes of Western institutions and governments. This relentless pursuit has been further facilitated by a longstanding policy of appeasement, revealing the deep extent of Iran’s influence over key Western policies. Now that the facts are known and the crooked experts exposed, the West must end appeasement and crackdown on the regime. It is time for the UN, US, EU and UK to open negotiations with the Iranian opposition NCRI and MEK and to back the Iranian people in their desire to overthrow the theocratic dictatorship and restore, peace, justice, democracy and human rights to their nation.