The influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the US foreign policy apparatus
The influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the American foreign policy apparatus has provoked many reactions within the apparatus.
According to joint reports by the American website "Semaphore" and the Iran International Network, the connection between individuals close to Robert Malley, the suspended US envoy to Iran, and a network of experts affiliated with the Islamic Republic regarding JCPOA issues led to widespread reactions.
Regarding the above report, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized that anyone entering the US government to work on sensitive issues must receive a security clearance, which is done by a thorough background check by experienced experts. Ali Vaez, director of the Iran division at the International Crisis Group, also denied the accusation on the X network (formerly Twitter), calling it meaningless and damaging to the image of the Islamic Republic.
After the above news was published, Michael McCaul, chairman of the US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement calling for transparency regarding published reports regarding the infiltration of a network of Islamic Republic agents into Western political circles and the US government.
He said in the statement: "Reports about the relationship between Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, and an Iranian official who, according to sources, was a key member of Iran's influence campaign are alarming."
According to his statements, many of the people involved in the Iranian influence campaign had close ties to Robert Malley, who is under investigation for misusing classified information and is currently on unpaid leave from the State Department. He continued his statements by adding: “In February 2021, Robert Malley hired a member of the Iranian influence campaign named Arian Tabatabai to help him in his negotiations with Iran. Arian Tabatabai was transferred to the Department of Defense after 15 months and now works in a senior position in the Department of Defense, and these reports show that the Biden administration has a weak policy towards Iran and is emboldening a dangerous enemy.”
Michael McCaul ended by calling for transparency on the issue, stating that the American people deserve transparency about this incident. However, a State Department spokesperson attributed the claim of Iranian-origin consultants' connection to a network linked to the Islamic Republic to a decade ago, stating that these individuals no longer work for the US government and that security checks were conducted on one of them, who still works for the US Department of Defense, as per procedure.
