White House adopts FDD talking points on Iran policy despite data disputes
Nick Stewart, a former senior official at the think tank's lobbying arm, joins the US negotiating team as the White House integrates FDD assertions into its public stance on the war on Iran.
The White House has incorporated talking points and graphics from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) regarding the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. In a recent move, the administration's official rapid response account on X shared material from the think tank asserting that Tehran's uranium enrichment levels accelerated during the previous Biden administration. This assertion stands in direct contradiction to data indicating that enrichment levels remained low until after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.
The FDD, which was founded in 2001 by pro-Israel donors, occupies a prominent position in Washington policy circles. The organisation employs numerous former Israeli military and intelligence officials and advocates for aggressive sanctions and confrontation with Iran. Its experts frequently appear across major US news networks, often introduced as nonpartisan analysts, while its reports circulate through Congress and the White House.
Amidst this policy shift, Nick Stewart, a former senior official at FDD Action, has been appointed to the Office of the Special Envoy for Peace Missions. Stewart joins envoy Steve Witkoff on the US negotiating team engaging with Iran. Stewart is not a career diplomat; he served as the managing director of advocacy at FDD Action, where he has publicly argued for a more aggressive posture towards Iran, including military pressure.
Federal lobbying disclosures reveal that FDD Action spent $150,000 lobbying the US government in the first quarter of 2025 on issues including Iran sanctions legislation and the US-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025. The organisation states that it offers lawmakers and officials direct support, including legislative drafting assistance and policy analysis, at no cost.
The FDD's origins trace back to 2001, when three major pro-Israel donors incorporated an organisation called EMET. Following the September 11 attacks, the group changed its name to the FDD, and Iran became central to its work. During debates over the 2015 nuclear deal, FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz pushed for expanded sanctions targeting entities linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Stewart has dismissed the notion that Iranian leadership can negotiate in good faith, describing figures within the Iranian government as part of a theocratic, tyrannical, authoritarian government. He argues that the administration should leverage tactical victories against Tehran into a decisive strategic outcome, a stance that reflects the think tank's broader advocacy for a hardline approach.
