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Al-Monitor — The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee demanded answers from the US State Department on Monday night after Iranian outlets published details about the suspension of Iran envoy Rob Malley.
“I have requested transparency from the State Department on the ongoing Robert Malley saga and will continue to demand answers,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement.
On Sunday, the Tehran Times published a letter dated April 21 purportedly from the State Department to Malley detailing his case. It stated that his “continued national security eligibility is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security.” It read that his clearance was suspended pending an investigation, and asked him to turn in his government-issued credentials and diplomatic passport.
The State Department announced in June that Malley was put “on leave.” The envoy said at the time that his security clearance was under review. Some outlets have reported that Malley was on unpaid leave as the State Department investigates his possible mishandling of classified information.
The letter did not detail any specific allegations against Malley. Politico cited an anonymous source described as familiar with the Malley investigation as saying that the letter published by the outlet appeared to match an original version.
McCaul accused the State Department of not being forthcoming with Congress regarding Malley in response to the report.
“If this memo is authentic, it is extremely concerning especially since this is not the first time the Iranian regime’s mouthpiece has appeared to have sensitive US government information recently while Congress is kept in the dark,” said McCaul in the statement.
The Tehran Times has published a few articles in recent weeks on Malley’s case.
McCaul warned the State Department may have a leak.
“This latest chapter raises serious questions about how the regime obtained this potentially authentic document and what other sensitive or classified information they may have. The State Department needs to do a top to bottom security review, because I am concerned they have a leak,” he said.
The congressman was not alone in his criticism. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) tweeted late Monday night that the State Department “owes US Senators answers” on how the newspaper obtained the letter.
Previously in June, McCaul wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding a detailed account of Malley’s leave of absence and the suspension of his security clearance. In July, Hagerty led several Republican senators in writing a letter to the State Department’s acting inspector general, Diana Shaw, asking for further details on when Malley’s access to sensitive information was restricted, among other questions.
Gabriel Noronha, a former State Department adviser on Iran during the Trump administration, tweeted on Monday that Congress “needs to know” if Iran has access to the State Department’s communications.
The fact the Iranians knew why his clearance was pulled – and that Congress did not until just now – is deeply troubling on many levels…
Congress needs to know whether Iran has access to all State Dept unclassified emails, and what is being done to fix that.— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) August 27, 2023
A State Department spokesperson told Al-Monitor on Tuesday that the department is aware of the reporting but that it does not comment on internal matters. The spokesperson added that Malley is still on leave.
The Malley saga is complicating the already troubled US-Iran relationship after the nuclear deal talks broke down last year. Washington has placed more sanctions on Iran over the past year in response to the crackdown on Iranian protesters and Iranian support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Malley had been the Biden administration’s lead negotiator with Iran on a return to the nuclear accord before being placed on leave. He also served as the Obama administration’s lead negotiator with Iran in the lead-up to its 2015 signing. He has been accused of being too soft on the Iranian government, including by Iranian activists abroad such as US-based Masih Alinejad.
The Malley story has reverberated throughout Iran, capturing significant attention from pro-government media outlets, Al-Monitor’s correspondent in Tehran reported in July.
