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FARA
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FARA

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, a US federal law requiring agents of foreign governments to register their activities with the Department of Justice.

Last refreshed: 4 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Why does a 1938 anti-Nazi-propaganda law keep surfacing in Iran-US disputes?

Timeline for FARA

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Common Questions
What is the Foreign Agents Registration Act?
FARA is a 1938 US law requiring anyone acting on behalf of a foreign government or political party to register and disclose that relationship with the Department of Justice.
Why was Kaveh Afrasiabi charged under FARA?
The DOJ alleged in 2021 that Afrasiabi was secretly paid by Iran's UN mission for over a decade while presenting himself as an independent analyst, without registering as FARA required.Source: event
How is a FARA violation punished?
A criminal FARA violation carries up to five years in prison, though many cases are resolved through registration orders or settlements rather than trial, as happened with Afrasiabi's dismissal.

Background

The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), enacted in 1938, requires anyone acting as an agent of a foreign government, political party, or other foreign principal within the United States to disclose that relationship to the Department of Justice. It was originally aimed at Nazi propaganda operations and has since become the US government's primary tool for exposing undisclosed foreign influence campaigns, from lobbying to media and academic outreach.

Violations are criminal, carrying up to five years in prison, and prosecutions have targeted lobbyists, consultants and commentators accused of secretly representing foreign governments while presenting themselves as independent. Enforcement has increased sharply since 2016, alongside renewed scrutiny of unregistered influence operations tied to Russia, China and Iran.

One high-profile case saw Iranian-American academic Lotfollah Kaveh Afrasiabi charged under FARA in January 2021 for allegedly acting as an undisclosed agent of Iran's government; the charge resurfaced in 2026 coverage of Afrasiabi's private $1bn lawsuit against FIFA over Iran's World Cup elimination , though the case itself was dismissed in 2023 after a prisoner-swap pardon rather than proceeding to trial.

Source Material
FARA Registration UnitForeign Agents Registration Act