Pro-Israel lobbyists heap Iran pressure on US Congress

AIPAC enjoys great sway on US Middle East policy, but its wings were clipped with two stinging defeats over the past 18 months.

In September 2013 it backed Obama's effort to strike Syria in response to Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons, but Congress did not go along. Then last month, facing opposition from Obama, an Iran sanctions bill backed by AIPAC was delayed.

AIPAC's annual lobby effort remains one of the most organized and effective in the nation, according to several lawmakers who engage the activists on the Jewish group's policy recommendations.

"AIPAC has been a very aggressive driving force in educating members of Congress," House Republican Mario Diaz-Balart told AFP.

"It is unique, and it has the impact," added Democrat Marc Veasey. "AIPAC does a fantastic job of informing and engaging."