Senator Ted Cruz has struck an unsavory tone about three people he says are “Iranian spies” working in the Biden administration, including some with access to classified information.
In June, the White House placed its former special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, on leave during an investigation that included the suspension of his security clearance.
“What you just mentioned with Rob Malley remains one of the biggest national security scandals in the history of our country,” Cruz (R-Texas) told Maria Bartiromo, host of Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“But now we also know that, among others, three of Rob Malley’s top advisers, the inner circle he relies on, are Iranian operatives,” Cruz claimed. “They were recruited by the Iranian government.”
Cruz’s statement referred to a bombshell report from Semafor last month that Iran’s Foreign Ministry had begun a campaign to influence US policy against the regime.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has been a staunch supporter of Israel and a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s policies toward Iran.Getty Images
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reportedly set up a secret network of overseas academics as part of the Iran Experts Initiative.
At least two were hired as Malley’s top aides and a third were selected for think tanks he once ran, according to the report.
One of the aides named in the report — Ariane Tabatabai — now works as the Pentagon’s chief of staff to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations.
Tabatabai worked for Malley where she assisted him on the nuclear negotiation team before transitioning to her current role at the Pentagon.
Iranian protesters burn American and Israeli flags as they take part in a rally in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.Getty Images
He appears to have retained his top-level security clearance despite sweeping reports claiming he was named in an Iranian influence campaign.
“One of them, as far as we know, remains the chief of staff at the Department of Defense to this day with access to classified documents,” Cruz said. “However, the corporate media cannot be mentioned that three Iranian spies were brought to the senior levels of the government with access to classified material while working directly for Iran.”
Malley was one of the chief negotiators on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal that former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.
Since then, Malley has landed a gig at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs as a visiting professor and lecturer.
Iran, whose president is Ebrahim Rais, has warned Israel against a prolonged attack on Hamas. ZUMAPRESS.com
Many Republicans have raised concerns about Malley and the Semaphore report detailing Iran’s influence in academia and the US government.
The Biden administration has also drawn criticism from the GOP over the roughly $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue stashed in Qatar’s banking system that was agreed to be unfrozen in a prisoner exchange deal last month.
Administration officials have countered that none of the money has gone back to Iran, and privately, Treasury officials have reportedly assured members of Congress that it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
President Biden’s team has been forced to fend off GOP criticism for being soft on Iran.AP
Iran has been in the foreign policy spotlight recently because of Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel. Tehran has long been a supporter of the group, designated a terrorist organization by the US.
So far, at least 1,400 Israelis and 31 Americans have been killed in the deadly war that erupted in response to Hamas attacks, according to authorities.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
