Trump appoints FDD lobbyist Nick Stewart to Iran team
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- White House posted an X graphic from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) that falsely claimed Iran’s uranium enrichment accelerated under Biden’s sanctions policy.
- Iran’s uranium enrichment was capped at 3.67% under the 2015 nuclear deal and only accelerated after President Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
- Nick Stewart – a former senior official of FDD Action – was appointed by President Trump to the Office of the Special Envoy for Peace Missions, joining the U.S. negotiating team with Iran alongside envoy Steve Witkoff.
- FDD Action spent $150,000 lobbying the U.S. government in the first quarter of 2025 on Iran sanctions legislation, U.S. arms sales to Israel, and the U.S.-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025.
- FDD includes a network of former Israeli military and intelligence officials who have long advocated a confrontational U.S. stance toward Iran.
Why it matters: Trump’s reliance on FDD gives the think tank direct policy influence, bolstering hard‑line Iran tactics while sidelining diplomatic channels; Iran faces heightened pressure, and U.S. lawmakers receive free lobbying support.
