George Soros’ Influence: Unraveling the Web of Funding and Influence in US-Iran Relations

George Soros’ Influence: Unraveling the Web of Funding and Influence in US-Iran Relations

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In recent years, George Soros, the influential billionaire known for his far-left political affiliations, has channeled over $50 million into a network of Iran-sympathizer groups. According to a recently published report in the New York Post, this funding has played a crucial role in shaping the narrative around US-Iran relations, particularly in advocating for the defanging of US sanctions on Tehran and pushing for a renewed nuclear deal. A detailed examination of Soros’ Open Society Foundations records reveals that a significant portion of this funding, approximately $46.7 million since 2016, has been directed towards the International Crisis Group (ICG), a left-leaning think tank with alleged ties to an Iranian plot to manipulate US policy, the Post report added.

Soros has been a consistent financial supporter of the ICG, having funded its formation in 1994. The billionaire served as a trustee for years before passing the baton to his son, Alexander Soros, in 2018. The Post report indicated that the ICG has played a pivotal role in influencing US foreign policy, particularly through its association with individuals who have ascended to prominent positions within the Biden administration.

Robert Malley, the former US special envoy to Iran, is a key figure in this intricate web. As was reported by the Post, Malley served as the president of the ICG until 2021 when he joined the Biden administration. Currently under FBI investigation for alleged mishandling of classified material, Malley’s close ties to Soros and the ICG raise questions about potential conflicts of interest, according to the Post report.

A covert network of Iranian-American academics known as the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) has further deepened the connection between Soros, the ICG, and the Biden administration, the report in the Post said. Established by Iran’s Foreign Ministry in 2014, three of Malley’s protégés were part of the IEI. As was noted in the Post report, over the past decade, IEI participants have discreetly infiltrated Washington’s foreign policy establishment, subtly influencing policymakers to ease sanctions on Tehran and support its nuclear ambitions.

Ariane Tabatabai, an IEI participant, was hired by Malley as his top aide when tasked with leading the US team for negotiating a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Tabatabai later transitioned to a high-level position at the Pentagon, drawing criticism from Republicans. The Post also reported that Ali Vaez, another IEI member and director of Iran projects at the ICG, reportedly sent writings to Iranian officials for pre-publication review. Vaez has secured multiple White House meetings with top national security officials under the Biden administration. The Post report said that Dina Esfandiary, a third IEI member, joined the ICG as a senior advisor and, along with Vaez, authored an essay in 2021 praising the election of Iran’s hardline president, Ebrahim Raisi, as an “opportunity” for progress in nuclear talks.

The intricate web of financial contributions and connections between George Soros, his Open Society Foundations (OSF), and various Iran-sympathizing groups has come under scrutiny, shedding light on potential influences on US-Iran relations, the report in the Post stated. The focus centers on Robert Malley’s appointment in 2021, coinciding with the Biden administration’s shift away from Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Biden’s less stringent enforcement has purportedly allowed the Iranian government to accrue an estimated $95 billion, according to the Post report.

Ali Vaez, a member of the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) and the director of Iran projects at the International Crisis Group (ICG), secured two lengthy one-on-one meetings with Brett McGurk, Biden’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, the Post report said. These meetings occurred while McGurk was clandestinely engaged in negotiations with his Iranian counterpart to restart nuclear talks. Subsequently, the administration made a controversial deal releasing $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds in exchange for the release of five American hostages.

Robert Malley’s son, Blaise Malley, is employed by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a think tank sympathetic to Iran. The institute, founded by Trita Parsi, received substantial funding from Soros, totaling $1.8 million since 2019m according to the Post report. Despite a US court finding Parsi credibly accused of acting as “an advocate for the regime” through his nonprofit National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Soros also contributed $100,000 to NIAC.

Soros’s financial influence extends to left-leaning groups like the Ploughshares Fund and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The report in the Post indicated that in 2021, OSF provided Ploughshares with $300,000, leading to subsequent grants of $225,000 to ICG, NIAC Action, and the Quincy Institute. Ploughshares directly awarded Vaez a grant in the same year. Soros has indirectly supported Iran apologists through these channels.

OSF and Soros have directed more than $15 million since 2016 to groups associated with recent pro-Hamas protests in the US, the Post report added. This revelation has raised questions about the underlying motivations and objectives of Soros’s financial contributions to various organizations.

In response to these findings, Jessica Rosenblum of the Quincy Institute emphasized transparency about their funding sources and asserted their commitment to promoting international and regional peace and security. The report in the Post also said that an OSF spokesperson denied any affiliation with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

However, critics, including Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad and Gabriel Noronha of the Polaris National Security think tank, question the overall impact of Soros’s financial support, expressing concerns about weakening America both internally and externally, the report added.

The intricate ties between Soros, the Biden administration, and Iran-sympathizing groups raise important questions about transparency, potential conflicts of interest, and the broader implications for US foreign policy. As investigations unfold, the public remains attentive to the multifaceted connections that may influence the delicate balance of power in the US-Iran relationship and its repercussions on the international stage.