Iranian Group Once Included on US Terrorist List Registers as Lobbyist

An Iranian group that was classified as a terrorist organization until 2012 has officially registered to lobby the government, the Hill reported Friday.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran has hired former New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli to represent it.

In its registration with the Justice Department, the group said it intends to "educate the public opinion and the United States Government to pursue a policy based on respect for human rights, non-proliferation, and promotion of democracy, particularly regarding the U.S. policy vis-a-vis Iran and the Middle East," The Hill reported

The Council comprises five Iranian opposition groups, the biggest of them being Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), which was listed in the United States as a terrorist group until last September.

The group drew some conservatives to its side when publicly trumpeting the existence of Iran's secret uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took MEK's name off the terrorist list after a heavy lobbying campaign that included millions in contributions to members of Congress and former U.S. government officials.

"The National Council of Resistance of Iran is a political coalition consisting of some 500 members representing various political, religious and ethnic constituencies of Iran and acts as the parliament-in-exile," the council said in its lobbying application. "It seeks to establish a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic in Iran."