John Limbert

A former U.S. diplomat slated to become the No. 2 Iran official at the State Department serves on the board of a controversial Iran council that has argued against imposing sanctions on Tehran and has received funding from groups tied to billionaire George Soros.

John Limbert, a former ambassador to Mauritania, reportedly was appointed to serve as deputy assistant secretary for Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. State Department sources were quoted by Politico saying Limbert would play an active role in negotiations with Iran, working with Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns.

But Ed Lasky, writing at American Thinker, points out that Limbert also serves on the National Iranian American Council's advisory board.

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NIAC describes itself as advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community. It has been accused of largely toeing the line of the Iranian regime.

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Just last week, Limbert spoke at a NIAC conference on Capitol Hill alongside former Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering, who this past summer reportedly held a clandestine meeting with leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization.

NIAC strongly opposes military action against Iran and has actively lobbied against imposing further sanctions on Iran.

"We know what effect sanctions have – they hurt the people of Iran while giving the government an excuse for its failures," read an NIAC statement obtained by WND.

"Contact your representative and ask him or her to support the president by supporting diplomacy, not sanctions," the release urged.

NIAC also has strongly argued against U.S. funding for Iranian civil society groups and providing help to the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.

The group is led by Tria Parsi, who previously was director of fundraising for the American Iranian Council, which sought to promote better relations between the Iranian government and the U.S. and which maintained an office in Iran.

Meanwhile, NIAC has acknowledged receiving funding from Soros' Open Society Institute and from the Tides Foundation, to which Soros has reportedly donated more than $7 million.

Additionally, NIAC has received funds from Cultures of Resistance, a radical anti-war organization that promotes programs in North Korea and the Gaza Strip.

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