In June, news sources reported that Rob Malley, the US special envoy on Iran, has been placed on leave without pay, which occurred after his security clearance was suspended earlier this year amid an investigation into his handling of classified material.
A US official said that Malley’s clearance was suspended amid a State Department diplomatic security investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information. Another source familiar with the matter said he was placed on unpaid leave on Thursday afternoon.
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller confirmed to CNN on Thursday afternoon that Malley was on leave, though earlier in the day he said that Malley was still the special envoy for Iran.
Shortly after the ambiguous and contradictory pieces of news were published, the Iranian newspaper Tehran Times in an exclusive article provided further information regarding the case of the US envoy. Tehran Times' report was followed by the reaction of American politicians.
According to the Tehran Times, Malley was informed by the Diplomatic Security Department on April 21 that his security clearance had been suspended due to his failure to maintain classified documents accurately.
Speaking to a US-based media, Senator Josh Hawley criticized the Biden administration for not providing clear information while Tehran Times has released astonishing information about the case.
Hawley expressed outrage at the administration's lack of transparency regarding Malley and his efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord. Referring to the article by Tehran Times, Senator Hawley criticized the government for not being forthcoming. He said that an official Iranian newspaper is publishing all this information and knowing it, yet the US government won't be honest about it. He further stated, "It's ridiculous."
"I feel like I've been lied to... They (the administration) lie to us all the time on various issues, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, China... It's a pattern in this administration," he added.
Answering a question about the article published by Tehran Times, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that he cannot confirm that Malley was asked to go on leave on April 21st.
"I will just say, as I said, I am very limited in what I can say about this matter. It’s a personnel matter. There are rules imposed on us by the Privacy Act that make it – limit what we can say. I can say that on June 29th, Rob stopped performing the duties of the special envoy for Iran. He went on leave several weeks before that, but I can’t say it with any more degree of specificity."
He added that he cannot confirm that not only Secretary Blinken but also Abram Paley have not met with Malley since.
Asked if he'd read the Tehran Times article and is aware of the details included in it, Miller did not specify whether it's true or not, saying, "I did not say that. I did not say that. I was responding to the question she asked me."
Responding to another question about whether he finds it problematic that Iranian Government media knows more about Rob Malley’s case than they do, he stressed, "I would not agree with that characterization."
The investigation into Malley was initially conducted by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, but State Department sources informed that the case was passed on to the FBI, which could suggest alleged criminal foul play.
The FBI’s involvement raises the stakes of the investigation into a veteran, high-profile, and sometimes controversial diplomat, and suggests that investigators are considering something beyond the lowest-level mishandling of documents.
Compiled by Mohaddeseh Pakravan
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