Council on Foreign Relations criticized for hosting secret meeting with Iranian President.

Ebrahim Raisi’s government plotted to assassinate⁢ U.S. officials

Think Tank Under Fire for Hosting Iranian President

A prominent Washington,​ D.C., think tank is facing criticism ​for its decision to host Iran’s president during his visit⁤ to⁣ New York City​ for the United Nations’ annual gathering.

The ‍Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), one of Washington’s most⁢ influential foreign ‌policy hubs, has scheduled an invitation-only event with Iranian president Ebrahim⁢ Raisi ⁢next Tuesday. This event was first revealed by a CFR fellow on Twitter. Despite ​the backlash, CFR ​has ​not publicly acknowledged the event or provided details on⁣ its website.

Former senior ‍U.S. officials and Iranian dissidents have condemned the ‌think tank for⁣ giving a platform to a regime ⁤mouthpiece involved in plots to assassinate American leaders. Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who Raisi’s government ⁣is targeting for assassination, ​called the ‌CFR⁣ event “immoral and indecent.”

Pompeo stated, “Hosting Iranian president ‌Raisi, ⁣the⁣ Butcher of Tehran—who​ was responsible for the murder⁤ of⁢ thousands of⁤ Iranian ⁣innocents—is immoral and indecent. Not only has he⁤ terrorized his own⁣ citizens, but he will also use this platform to⁣ espouse ‍his ⁢continuing efforts to destroy Israel and harm Americans.”

The CFR event became public ‌when senior fellow and⁢ Iranian dissident Roya Hakakian declined‍ the invitation on X. Hakakian criticized the⁣ think tank⁣ for⁤ providing a ​platform ⁣to a ⁣man implicated in ‍numerous crimes, including crimes against humanity. She emphasized the ⁢importance of holding criminals ​like Raisi accountable in ⁢a court of law.

Hakakian also highlighted the event’s insensitivity in ⁤light of ‌Iran’s brutal treatment of⁢ anti-government protesters and its disregard⁣ for ‌human rights.

Concerns have been raised that the‌ CFR event ⁢with Raisi may violate American anti-terrorism laws, which prohibit interactions with the Iranian government due to its involvement in global terrorism.

One ⁢senior congressional ⁢aide stated, ⁣”It is straightforwardly illegal ‌for Americans to provide ‌him with funds, goods, or services. I don’t mean it’s a sanctions violation.​ It is illegal.⁢ It is ​breaking a law.”