[11] In 2007, Arizona-based Iranian-American journalist Seid Hassan Daioleslam began publicly asserting that NIAC was lobbying on behalf of Iran.

[13] As a result of the lawsuits, many internal documents were released, which former Washington Times correspondent Eli Lake stated "raise questions" about whether the organization had violated U.S. lobbying regulations.

[15] A March 2015 column by Eli Lake in Bloomberg View asserted that the emails showed cooperation between Parsi and the then Iran ambassador to the United Nations and current Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The Congressional publication, The Hill, cited NIAC's work in support of the Iran nuclear accord as one of the "Top lobbying victories of 2015.

[19] Iranians who were protesting for regime change believe that NIAC has not joined the Women, Life, Freedom Movement and is still looking for a way to reform by trying to reestablish the JCPOA deal.

They requested the US Attorney-General William Barr to "evaluate whether an investigation of NIAC is warranted for potential FARA violations and to ensure transparency regarding foreign attempts to influence the US political process.

[25] In 2023, journalist Emily Schrader claimed her criticism of NIAC as one of the "foreign lobbying mouthpieces of the Islamic Republic" led to death threats and antisemitic comments.

[36] In 2015, the organization supported a Congressional letter (Dent-Price), which was signed by 131 Representatives, advocated for giving negotiations with Iran on the nuclear issue a chance after the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.