Support from Prominent Iranian-Americans for the Agreement with Iran

A group of prominent Iranian-American individuals has expressed their support for the nuclear agreement with Iran in a letter to the American people, stating that resolving global issues through engagement is a better solution than confrontational approaches. The letter, resulting from the efforts of a group of distinguished Iranian-American leaders in technology, investment, and the arts, emphasizes, "Like all Americans, we take pride in our great country and strongly defend its ideals of freedom and opportunities. We have worked together to make this country (the United States) the best in the world." These figures acknowledged the political and religious diversity within the Iranian-American community and the existing differences, stating, "Nevertheless, we agree on one thing: that resolving issues through engagement is better for the world than conflict and confrontation." The letter continues, "In recent decades, war has destroyed the lives of thousands of Americans and left trillions of dollars in costs, yet conflicts remain. When America's hopes and aspirations are achieved through diplomacy rather than war, we all win." It highlights that "our message is to the people, not the politicians," stressing that "using diplomacy with Iran is more effective in preventing war. Diplomacy provides the opportunity to connect cultures, peoples, and their ideals. It creates the chance for Americans and Iranians to forge a brighter future that our children will benefit from." The letter adds, "While the Iranian government and Western governments have deep disagreements, the people of Iran have a long history of tolerance, hospitality, creativity, and innovation that predates new governments and religions—values that Americans believe in. The people of Iran, like Americans, desire peace, success, and happiness." "We ask you, American friends, to show your desire for peace and prosperity by supporting the recent agreement between the U.S., Iran, and other global powers. Join us in embracing this unique opportunity for contact between Americans and Iranians. Let’s turn the page in history." The signatories include individuals such as Anousheh Ansari (CEO and astronaut), Reza Aslan (author and religious scholar), Nazanin Boniadi (actress), Hamid Biglari (former Citi Group executive), Shohreh Aghdashloo (actress), Arash Ferdowsi (co-founder of Dropbox), Maz Jobrani (comedian), Omid Kordestani (former Google executive), Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO of Expedia), Mehran Kardar (physics professor at the University of Michigan), Salar Kamangar (former YouTube CEO), Firouz Naderi (NASA director), Shirin Neshat (artist and filmmaker), Ali and Hadi Partow (investors and tech executives), Ali Roghani (former Twitter executive), and Aydin Qajar (Facebook production manager). According to TechCrunch, the signatories hope to leverage their influence to encourage U.S. officials to work on the Iran agreement. Iran and six global powers reached an agreement on July 14 regarding the resolution of Tehran's nuclear program, under which, in exchange for limiting and shutting down many of Iran's nuclear activities, U.S., UN, and European sanctions against it will be lifted or suspended. However, U.S. Republicans have stated they will reject this agreement in a vote on September 17 in Congress. President Barack Obama has warned that he will veto a negative vote from Congress. The letter from prominent Iranian-American figures is set to be published as a full-page advertisement in The New York Times, and the text has also been released on the website supportpeace.org.