Iran

The Washington-based American Enterprise Institute is a rightist think tank with a broad mandate covering a range of foreign and domestic policy issues that is known for its strong connections to neoconservatism and overseas debacles like the Iraq War.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the more effective U.S. lobbying outfits, aims to ensure that the United States backs Israel regardless of the policies Israel pursues.

Brian Hook is the director of policy planning and senior policy advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and is the head of the Iran Action Group.

Pundit Charles Krauthammer, who died in June 2018, was a staunch advocate of neoconservative policies and aggressive U.S. military actions around the world.

Charles M. Kupperman, long time defense contractor exec and neoconservative campaigner, served briefly as acting National Security Adviser in the Trump White House, where he became embroiled in the controversy over Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden's son.

David Makovsky, a fellow at the “pro-Israel” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, has been hawk on Iran, but largely quiet since Trump took office.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was a leading framer of the “global war on terror” and a staunch supporter of aggressive U.S. military action around the world.

Eli Lake is a columnist for Bloomberg View who has a lengthy record of advocating for aggressive U.S. foreign policies towards the Middle East.

A professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Eliot Cohen has been described as "the most influential neocon in academe."

Elliott Abrams, the Trump administration’s special envoy to Venezuela, is a neoconservative with a long record of hawkish positions and actions, including lying to Congress about the Iran-Contra affair.

Fred Fleitz left his role as chief of staff at the National Security Council under John Bolton to succeed notorious Islamophobe Frank Gaffney as president and CEO of the Center for Security Policy.

Freedom Watch, a pressure group led by right-wing activist Larry Klayman, promotes a hodgepodge of conservative foreign and domestic polices, claiming to be “the only political advocacy group that speaks through actions, rather than just words.”

Gina Haspel is the first woman to hold the position of director of the CIA, winning her confirmation despite her history of involvement in torture during the Iraq War.

On August 16, 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo…

The millionaire pastor of the Cornerstone Church in Texas, John Hagee argues that U.S. support for Israel will play a “a pivotal role in the second coming” of Jesus. He has also risen to new prominence during the Trump administration.

Jon Kyl, a hawkish conservative, served in the Senate from 1996-2013 and again in 2018, and helped guide Brett Kavanaugh through his confirmation process.

Josh Block, the president and CEO of The Israel Project, frequently makes ad hominem attacks on critics of Israeli policies, accusing them of them anti-Semitism. He describes TIP’s mission as “blunting the spread of false, malignant, even anti-Semitic claptrap.”

Josh Rogin is a journalist known for his support for neoconservative policies and views.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is one of the Senate’s more vocal hawks, and one of the prime vacillators among Republicans between objecting to and supporting Donald Trump.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is known for his hawkish views on foreign policy and close ties to prominent neoconservatives.

Max Boot, neoconservative military historian at the Council on Foreign Relations, on Trump and Russia: “At every turn Trump is undercutting the ‘get tough on Russia’ message because he just can’t help himself, he just loves Putin too much.”

Michael Flynn is a former Trump administration National Security Advisor who was forced to step down only weeks on the job because of his controversial contacts with Russian officials before Trump took office.

Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and an evangelical pastor, is a far-right pundit known for his hawkish policies and opposition to an Israeli peace deal with the Palestinians.

Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump second secretary of state, has driven a hawkish foreign policy in Iran and Latin America.

Nikki Haley, Donald Trump’s first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is known for her lock-step support for Israel and is widely considered to be a future presidential candidate.

Norm Coleman is a lobbyist for the Saudi Arabian government, chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and former senator from Minnesota, known for hawkish, pro-Likud, and anti-Iran foreign policy views.

Billionaire hedge fund mogul Paul Singer is known for his predatory business practices and support for neoconservative causes.

The Republican Jewish Coalition is a right wing Jewish advocacy groups that promotes an aggressive pro-Israel and anti-Iran policy.

Richard Goldberg is an aide to Trump administration National Security Adviser John Bolton. He was formerly a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a foreign policy aide to former Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL).

Richard Grenell, a Republican operative known for his polarizing views and controversial work for foreign governments, is an outspoken Trump supporter and served as his ambassador to Germany and acting intelligence chief.

Robert Joseph played a role manipulating U.S. intelligence to support the invasion of Iraq and later became a lobbyist for controversial Iran opposition groups.

Ron Dermer is the Israeli ambassador to the United States and has deep connections to the Republican Party and the neoconservative movement.

Rudolph Giuliani is a lawyer and Republican politician who was mayor of New York City from 1994-2001. A foreign policy hawk and vocal supporter of Donald Trump, Giuliani recently joined Trump’s legal team to add pressure on the special council to wrap up the investigation into alleged collusion with Russia in U.S. elections.

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson uses his enormous campaign donations to exert heavy influence on Republican foreign policy and tilt it in a hawkish, pro-Israeli right wing direction.

Shmuley Boteach is a “celebrity rabbi” known for his controversial “pro-Israel” advocacy.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is an outspoken promoter of aggressive U.S. foreign policies whose comments often combine right-wing Republican populism and neoconservativism.

United against Nuclear Iran is a pressure group that attacks companies doing business in Iran and disseminates alarmist reports about the country's nuclear program.

Former Weekly Standard editor and current Fox News commentator Bill Kristol is a longtime neoconservative activist who has been a leading right wing opponent of Donald Trump.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the Trump administration's special representative to the Afghan peace process, brokered a so-called peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which was finalized in February 2020. A past supporter of various neoconservative advocacy campaigns, Khalilzad served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations under President George W. Bush.