AIPAC’S “Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran” will spend $20 million to run ads in 30-40 states.

Politico – AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel organization, has launched a new advocacy group to oppose the Iran nuclear deal.

Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran, a new 501(c)4 group, is dedicated to informing the public “about the dangers of the proposed Iran deal,” spokesman Patrick Dorton told the New York Times, which first reported the group’s launch.

The group’s advisory board includes five former Democratic members of Congress: Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Joseph Lieberman (Conn.). Former Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), who served on the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, will also advise the group.

“This Iran deal is dangerous for America, for Israel and for the world,” Lieberman, the former Democratic and Independent senator, said in a statement on the group’s site. “Iran has violated over 20 international agreements, is the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world, and has been working to acquire nuclear weapons for years. Unfortunately this agreement won’t stop them.”

AIPAC has already come out in opposition to a number of President Barack Obama’s policies, including his approach to negotiations with Iran and treatment of Israel. In a staff meeting earlier this week the group’s executive director, Howard Kohr, told staff to cancel their summer vacations as the group plans to ramp up its lobbying against the deal in coming weeks.

According to the Times’ report, Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran will spend approximately $20 million on its advocacy, including advertising in 30 to 40 states.

“This will be a sizable and significant national campaign on the flaws in the Iran deal,” Dorton said.

Obama announced earlier this week that the P 5+1 negotiating nations had settled on final language for a nuclear deal which would dismantle a large majority of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, while leaving small portions intact.

In order to scuttle the deal, Republicans in Congress will need to convince enough Democrats to oppose the deal to secure a two-thirds majority vote.

AIPAC seems to originally have tried to keep its creation of the group secret from the public.