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Between 2006 and 2007, at least twelve Democratic Congressmen agreed to meet with Iranian officials in the Ayatollah’s regime at the behest of National Iranian American Council (NIAC) President Trita Parsi, according to a report by Hassan Dai of the Iranian American Forum. Parsi allegedly solicited the help of current Iranian Defense Minister Javad Zarif, who was Iran’s Ambassador to the UN at the time. Zarif is now one of the lead negotiators for Iran’s nuclear program on behalf of the Islamic republic.

QUESTION: Still on Iran, in Riga, I think, High Representative Mogherini mentioned that she thought some steps, I think she said, stand in the way of a framework or understanding on the nuclear program, but she also said a deal – a good deal is at hand. Do you share that assessment that a good deal is there for the taking at this point? MS. HARF: I share the assessment that a good deal is possible. We’re not going to accept a bad one. There are still roadblocks we are trying to overcome, but we believe we can get there...

Sen. Cruz, Rep. Zeldin send letter to IRS Commissioner Koskinen in light of organizationÂ’s reported efforts to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Congressman Lee Zeldin, this week sent a letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen asking for information regarding the tax-exempt status of The PeaceWorks Network Foundation, most commonly known by the name "OneVoice," after several media reports indicating OneVoice, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, has been using its resources to influence the outcome of the upcoming Israeli elections. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is pursuing the deadliest weapons on the...

Iran's lousy track record in adhering to restrictions, cooperating with inspections by the IAEA, ending its support for terrorism, and ending its bellicosity towards the West- Over the past several weeks the American and Israeli national presses, as well as the American Jewish press, have debated the wisdom of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to accept House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to address a joint session of Congress concerning the Iranian nuclear program. President Obama indicated quite clearly that he was most displeased by this prospect and applied quite some pressure on Israel in an effort to force PM...

Britain’s School of Oriental and African Studies joins the Jew-hatred parade. Last week, in yet another familiarly tiresome portrayal of anti-Semitism parading itself as Palestinian “solidarity,” students and staff at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) voted to initiate a boycott against all Israeli academic institutions. The vote at one of the United Kingdom’s top universities was conducted over the course of a week, and after the announcement late Friday afternoon, partying broke out on the central London campus—along with a request for university authorities to cut their ties to Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. Unsurprisingly, the vote was part...

Egypt Roars for Its Christians: ‘They Have a Shield’ Egyptian society and its government have rallied in defense of the Copts, but the White House has declined to support Egypt’s military actions in defense of its citizens. http://m.ncregister.com/daily-news/egypt-roars-for-its-christians-they-have-a-shield/#.VOgHo4Y8Kc0

It would appear from the laudatory coverage in American media that Bibi Netanyahu is a shoo-in for election as prime minister of the United States; in Israel, not so much. At least, this is the only conclusion one can draw from this weekÂ’s polls in the run-up to IsraelÂ’s Knesset elections on March 17.Against all expectations, Netanyahu received only the slightest of bounces as a result of the speech, which was televised and covered on radio in Israel.These are the current numbers of the average of polls for this week:Party This Week Last WeekHaMachane haTziyoni 24 25Likud 23 23United...

The White House used an article written by a known plagiarist to attack the credibility of the leader of America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Even though the president insisted the U.S. and Israel were strong, the White House National Security tweeted “Interesting take from @FareedZakaria on why PM Netanyahu’s predictions on #Iran have been wrong for 25 years,” and included a link to the article. In a stunningly political and petty move, the White House essentially accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of fear mongering for more than two decades. The White House’s use of Zakaria raises red flags. CNN...

When the present world in which we are living in is becoming extremely more hostile and aggressive towards Israel - including America's policies under Obama, ISIS, Iran, Turkey, Hezbollah and Hamas breathing threats and her border enemies following suit - DO NOT expect to see Israel idly stand by and let the world decide their fate and eradicate them from off of the face of the earth. Israel is a military might in that region with nukes and is armed to the teeth. They have one of the best armies in the world and have been soldiers of war continually...

Paris (AFP) - Top US diplomat John Kerry on Saturday sought to smooth differences with France over nuclear talks with Iran, agreeing with the French that there were still gaps to overcome in the "critical weeks" ahead. The US secretary of state said it was up to Iran to prove its peaceful intentions to the world if it wants a deal on its nuclear programme ahead of the looming March 31 deadline. He was speaking to reporters after a 20-minute meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Paris where they tried to iron out their differing views on the...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the removal of the UN Security Council’s sanctions on Tehran is contingent upon "political will," adding the two sides are likely to clinch a final deal. “Lifting the Security Council’s sanctions has no complications and only depends on political will,” Zarif said in an interview with a weekly affiliated to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) published on Saturday. There is no legal complications, either, for the lifting of sanctions, he added. He said parties to the negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program are likely to reach an accord. "I believe there are...

Iranian FM Zarif says that Netanyahu's position reflects "bigotry" over facts. WASHINGTON – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says that his country has saved the Jewish people three times in history, and does not seek their annihilation. In an interview with NBC News, Zarif rejected characterizations to the contrary put forth by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in an address to a joint meeting of the US Congress. “Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us,” Netanyahu said on the eve of Purim, commemorating the salvation of Iran’s Jews under threats...

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, sat down with NBC News this week for an exclusive interview. NBC’s headline and story are: “Iran Foreign Minister: We Believe We Are ‘Very Close’ to Nuke Deal.” But the Times of Israel noted a buried lede–“Zarif: The Netanyahu regime ‘should be annihilated’.” While the American editors focused on boosting prospects for President Barack Obama’s signature diplomatic initiative, their Israeli counterparts focused on the threat that remains.

Reuters this evening published photos taken earlier today showing “Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif… lay[ing] a wreath at the grave of assassinated Hezbollah military commander” Imad Mughniyeh, a terrorist who was killed in 2008 after having spent literally decades killing Americans and others on behalf of his paymasters in Tehran. Celebrating a mass-murdering terrorist is a bad choice for any Foreign Minister, but the decision by Tehran’s top diplomat to so brazenly honor a terrorist like Mughniyeh, who killed hundreds of Americans, within hours of inking an agreement with the US and members of the P5+1 sends a very...

Iran now has all the technical infrastructure to produce nuclear weapons should it make the political decision to do, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wrote in a report to a Senate intelligence committee published Wednesday. However, he added, it could not break out to the bomb without being detected. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign up! In the “US Intelligence Worldwide Threat Assessment,” delivered to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Clapper reported that Tehran has made significant advances recently in its nuclear program to the point where...

EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton has agreed to visit Iran amid wider efforts to improve relations between the Islamic republic and the West. She told press while visiting Kuwait on Monday (13 January) that: "I read with interest the invitation to visit Tehran, and it is my intention to do so in the course of the next weeks.” Her decision comes after Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday told media she has “an open invitation” to visit any time. It also comes after Iran and the UN Security Council veto countries plus Germany in Geneva on Sunday...

The Persian Triangle Clifford D. May On November 24, 2013, a “Joint Plan of Action” was concluded in Geneva by Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China—as well as Germany. “We have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program,” President Obama exulted. This agreement, added Secretary of State John Kerry, will ensure that Iran “cannot build a nuclear weapon.” Their confidence was not universally shared. “This deal appears to provide the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism with billions of dollars in exchange for cosmetic concessions that...

<p>WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration is considering taking a hard-line approach toward the government of Iran that could include efforts to destabilize Tehran's Islamic regime, a State Department official told CNN on Sunday.</p> <p>Senior Bush administration officials, including the deputy secretaries of defense and state, are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss Iran, the official said.</p>