The National Iranian American Council, a U.S.-based Iranian-American advocacy group that advocates for diplomacy with the Iranian regime and is critical of the Biden administration’s approach to Israel and the Middle East, offered strong praise for Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice-presidential nominee.

Critics and Iranian dissidents accuse NIAC of being tied to the Iranian regime and describe it as a de-facto lobbying group for the regime, particularly opposing sanctions on Iran.

“While some potential nominees for Vice President took strident positions against protests against the Gaza war, including urging crackdowns on student protests, Walz appears to have adopted a moderate position urging that protesters be listened to,” NIAC said in a lengthy statement on Walz, praising his approach to the Uncommitted campaign.

The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Within the past few weeks, NIAC has called on the U.S. to further pressure Israel “to force a cease-fire deal” in response to Hezbollah’s attack killing a dozen children in Israel, condemned the killings of top terrorist leaders, praised Iran for “calculated steps to avoid falling into the trap of regional war” and downplayed links between Iran and its proxy groups’ repeated and ongoing attacks on Israel.

The statement on Walz also praised him for “opposing the Trump administration’s Muslim ban and decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal,” saying they showed his “common sense approach.”

NIAC lauded Walz for signing letters during the second half of the Obama administration endorsing diplomacy with Iran and the 2015 nuclear deal, highlighting past comments praising the deal and pushing back on its critics.

The statement praised Harris’ views on the nuclear deal and Muslim ban, adding that she “has spoken with more empathy about the plight of Palestinians but has not meaningfully broken with the Biden administration’s approach.”

Trita Parsi, the founder and former president of NIAC and co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, took a victory lap on X, formerly Twitter, after Walz was picked for the VP slot over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish.

“Kamala chooses Tim Walz as VP over Shapiro. This signals a huge change in the political landscape of the Democratic party,” Parsi said. “Praising Netanyahu profusely and having served in the IDF is no longer a political merit. It’s a de-merit. Let that sink in.”

Contrary to Parsi’s claims, Shapiro never served in the Israeli Defense Forces and has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “one of the worst leaders of all time.”