I have known Erfan Fard since 2020. In his writings, he has consistently criticized the Islamic Republic’s acts of aggression and terrorist operations against Jews and has always defended the Jewish community. When Hamas launched its brutal attack on Israel, Erfan was among the very first to speak out publishing numerous articles in Israeli and American outlets such as Arutz Sheva (click to read his articles) and repeatedly appearing on Israel 24 TV to denounce the terrorist activities of the Quds Force, the IRGC, and the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic. All of these materials remain available online.
His friendship, sincerity, and devotion toward the Jewish people are undeniable and unforgettable.
Today, the fate of this pro-constitutional monarchy political activist and staunch opponent of the Islamic Republic lies in the hands of ICE headquarters. I am heartened that one of Texas’s senators, Ted Cruz whose speeches Erfan has often quoted or analyzed, and whose defense of the Trump administration’s policies toward the Islamic Republic as well as the policies of Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Mossad he has repeatedly supported has now taken steps to help save Erfan’s life.
We all know the brutal nature of the Islamic Republic’s courts. In 2012, Erfan was imprisoned for 55 days in Evin Prison by Branch 15 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges of insulting Khamenei, acting against national security, and disturbing public opinion. He was released only through the intervention of Jalal Talabani, then president of Iraq, and returned to the United States. His immigration case has remained ongoing ever since.
It is well known that someone who, for years, has spoken out against Khamenei’s Islamic Caliphate calling him the dictator of Tehran and a sponsor of global terrorism and whose most recent book exposes Khamenei’s terrorist operations, would face nothing but death in the Revolutionary Court if returned to Iran.
Therefore, both Senator Cruz and ICE Headquarters must understand that any attempt to deport Erfan to Iran would, in fact, serve the interests of the Islamic Republic and its security apparatus whose goal is to torture him, extract forced televised confessions, and exploit the case for propaganda against Prince Reza Pahlavi and in hostility toward Israel. Erfan has always been a loyal friend and ally of Israel and the Jewish community.
Erfan is the author of three major books:
- The Gruesome Mullah, praised by Michael Morell, former Acting Director of the CIA;
- Black Shabbat, commended by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute; and
- his recent work Regime Change in Iran, acclaimed by Israeli media.
His fourth forthcoming book, The Dictator of Tehran, examines the 37-year tyranny of Khamenei. A writer of this kind would face an obvious and grim fate if sent back to Iran.
I am proud to join my voice even from afar with those of Prince Reza Pahlavi and Senator Ted Cruz to help save Erfan’s life and to stand for the freedom of a true intellectual.