The White House's official rapid response account on X recently posted a graphic from the pro-Israel Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), falsely claiming that Iran's uranium enrichment accelerated due to sanctions relief under former President Joe Biden.

In reality, Iran's enrichment was capped at 3.67% under the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA). Tehran only accelerated enrichment after President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018.

The FDD was founded in 2001 with backing from pro-Israel donors. Originally named EMET (Hebrew for 'truth'), it rebranded after the September 11 attacks. The organization has since positioned itself as a key player in Washington's Iran policy debates.

Nick Stewart, former managing director of FDD Action (the group's lobbying arm), has been appointed to Trump's Iran negotiating team. Stewart has publicly advocated for a hardline approach, including military pressure, against Tehran.

The FDD's network includes former Israeli military and intelligence officials such as Jacob Nagel and Eyal Hulata, both former national security advisors to Israel, and Jonathan Conricus, former IDF international spokesperson.

The think tank helped shape Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran. Senior advisor Richard Goldberg served on Trump's National Security Council, coordinating sanctions and missile defense cooperation with Israel.

FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz has described confronting Iran as a personal mission, acknowledging that Iranian officials accuse the group of being 'the designing and executing arm of the US administration on Iran policy.'

Stewart, speaking at a Vandenberg Coalition panel in October 2024, dismissed the notion that Iran's leadership could negotiate in good faith, arguing that even President Masoud Pezeshkian should not be viewed as a reformer.

Source: www.aljazeera.com