Iran International:

The US government has resumed nearly all Iran-related aid programs that were paused under President Donald Trump’s executive order in January, Iran International can confirm based on a leaked document and multiple testimonies by grant recipients.

The State Department had suspended funding for numerous initiatives, including Iranian human rights groups, internet freedom programs, and civil society organizations, as part of a broader review of foreign assistance under the administration’s America First policy.

The freeze, announced on January 20, was initially set for 90 days but the review process appears to have concluded in time, with all but a few of projects focusing on Iran colored green in a list of State Department “active grants” obtained by Iran International.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple grantees—all but one of whom wanted to remain unidentified—have also confirmed to Iran International that their funding has been reinstated and that their operations will restart.

The one speaking openly is Ahmad Ahmadian, an advocate of internet freedom in Iran who leads the efforts of the California-based NGO, Holistic Resilience, in research and development of censorship circumvention technologies.

Welcoming the decision to reinstate funds to organizations like his, Ahmadian suggested that pressuring the rulers of Iran and supporting its people at the same time is not only possible but necessary if the United States wants to effect real change in the country—and beyond.

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