US administration investigating Iran war critic Trita Parsi, says report
The Trump administration has launched an investigation into prominent Iran war critic Trita Parsi, according to a report in the Free Press.
According to US officials and documents reviewed by the pro-Trump outlet, officials are looking into the possibility of deporting Parsi, who holds both Iranian and Swedish citizenship.
Parsi, who is co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and co-founded the National Iranian-American Council (NIAC), has been a vocal opponent of the ongoing US attacks on Iran.
A Trump official told the Free Press that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been "very clear" in his intentions to tackle “people who support adversaries of ours and whose work furthers their agenda and undermines our security.
“Anyone who seeks to undermine the US, we’re taking a hard look at," the official said.
Since the beginning of the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February, the Trump administration has increasingly targeted figures of Iranian descent in the US.
In April, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter Sarina were detained and had their residency permits rescinded after they were – incorrectly – identified as relatives of former Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani by far-right influencer Laura Loomer.
Despite denying their links to Soleimani, the pair remain in custody in Texas.
The US also detained and revoked the green cards of relatives of former Iranian minister Masoumeh Ebtekar in April.
Parsi is a critic of the Islamic Republic whose family fled to Sweden to escape persecution in Iran. He has faced attacks from Iranian monarchists and pro-Trump figures over his opposition to the conflict.
He has also been highly critical of US backing for Israel's genocide in Gaza and its attacks on Lebanon.
Speaking to Middle East Eye in May, Parsi warned that the US's ability to secure a deal with Iran would ultimately come down to its ability to restrain Israeli attacks in the region.
“If Trump either cannot or will not do so, then the value of any agreement with Washington comes sharply into question,” he said.
“A ceasefire that leaves Israel free to reignite hostilities at will – while the United States remains unable to prevent itself from being dragged back into conflict – offers little assurance of stability. Under such circumstances, the utility of a deal with Washington diminishes dramatically.”
MEE contacted the US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security for comment, but had received no response from either at time of publication.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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