CODEPINK to Host Pro-Regime Lobbyist and 'Israel Lobby' Author for Iran Webinar
The upcoming webinar features Iranian regime lobbyist Trita Parsi and John Mearsheimer, criticized for promoting authoritarian regime interests and his ties to Moscow-linked institutions
A webinar scheduled for Thursday, March 26, co-hosted by CODEPINK and the Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA), will feature two prominent speakers who have drawn sustained criticism over their views on Iran and U.S. Middle East policy. The event, titled "U.S.–Israeli Aggression Against Iran: Escalation Risks and the Path to Wider War," will bring together Dr. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute and Prof. John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago.
Trita Parsi’s Lobbying Activity and NIAC Controversies
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, has faced sustained scrutiny over his role leading the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), an organization that critics argue functions as de facto lobbying on behalf of the Iranian regime. Parsi co-founded NIAC in 2002 and served as its president until 2018. The organization has attracted allegations from multiple sources that it engaged in systematic advocacy aligned with Iranian state interests.
In litigation brought by NIAC and Trita Parsi against Hassan Daioleslam, the district court awarded Daioleslam $183,480.09 in sanctions over discovery abuses; the D.C. Circuit later affirmed most of the sanctions, while reversing discrete portions and remanding for further consideration.
Parsi has also faced criticism from Iranian-American diaspora communities. In 2023, the Iranian diaspora reflected on what some termed rage against the Iran lobby, specifically identifying NIAC and Parsi as having long faced allegations of functioning as a de facto regime lobby. In January 2026, Yale Daily News reported that more than 50 protesters gathered outside a Yale event featuring Parsi.
Parsi’s involvement with CODEPINK is not new. He previously appeared at the organization’s January 2021 Capitol Calling Party and participated in an April 2024 CODEPINK Congress webinar focused on Iran policy.
John Mearsheimer’s ‘Israel Lobby’ Work and Academic Controversy
Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago has become a central figure in academic discussions about U.S. Middle East policy, but his work has attracted substantial controversy. In 2006, Mearsheimer co-authored a paper with Harvard’s Stephen Walt titled “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” that elicited serious criticism, including from the Anti-Defamation League, which argued that the essay contained elements of classic anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
Mearsheimer’s Connections to Moscow-Based Think Tank
Mearsheimer maintains institutional ties to Russia through the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank described as “Putin-approved.” The organization was founded by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and regularly hosts Kremlin officials including Vladimir Putin. Mearsheimer has been a long-standing participant at the club’s annual gatherings.
In his 2023 book “How States Think,” Mearsheimer acknowledges receiving financial support from Valdai in connection with a 2019 award, funding that he says supported research for the publication. At a 2016 Valdai event, Mearsheimer stated he was “much more comfortable in Moscow than Washington.”
CODEPINK’s Iran Engagement and New Horizon Conference Controversy
In 2014, CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin attended Iran’s New Horizon Conference, an event that became infamous for featuring antisemitic rhetoric, Holocaust denial, and conspiracy theories. Benjamin was scheduled to participate in panels on Gaza and Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) strategy.
The New Horizon Organization was sanctioned by Treasury in 2019 for support to the IRGC-QF; Treasury said its conferences had provided Iranian intelligence officers a platform to recruit and collect intelligence from attendees while propagating antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Tablet reported that Benjamin said she did not regret participating