Iranians React To Departure Of US Envoy Malley
Mardo Soghom
Iran International
Since the saga of US envoy for Iran Robert Malley unfolded on Thursday, government officials in Tehran have remained silent, but others had plenty to say.
Iran International
Since the saga of US envoy for Iran Robert Malley unfolded on Thursday, government officials in Tehran have remained silent, but others had plenty to say.
Iran International broke the news early Thursday afternoon in DC that Malley, the Biden administration’s point man in talks with Iran has been put on leave and his deputy is now in charge as acting Iran envoy.
Major US news outlets soon began reporting on the development and soon it became clear that Malley was put on “unpaid leave” the same day when Iran International was asking questions from the State Department about his long absence and review of his security clearance.
Iranian government news agency IRNA in a note tried to put a positive spin and claimed that Malley’s removal was perhaps necessary to facilitate an agreement. However, Malley was considered to be defender of compromise with the Islamic Republic, not an opponent of deals with Tehran.
Some Iran watchers and many Iranian activists opposed to the Islamic Republic had long questioned Malley’s appointment as special envoy, pointing out that he was biased in favor of the Iranian regime and had been one of the architects of the 2015 nuclear deal that many believed was a flawed deal.
National Review quoted “a senior congressional foreign policy aide” who accused the Biden administration of lying about Malley’s status for months.
“They told Congress that Malley was on leave, because if they told the truth it would give away the game,” the aide was quoted as saying. “Malley has been dialoguing with Iran for years, refusing to enforce sanctions, letting Iran get within reach of nukes, attacking everyone who criticized Iranian terrorism — Europe, Saudi Arabia, Israel — and after all that something happened that got his security clearance suspended. So of course they lied.”
Amir-Farshad Ebrahimi, journalist and Senior Researcher at Global Institute for Democracy and Strategic Studies"(GIDSS), drew attention to Malley’s reported secret meetings with Iran’s UN ambassador Saeed Iravani late last year, first reported by Iran International in January. Ebrahimi wrote in a tweet that Israel showed a sharp reaction to the White House about these meetings and Malley’s “and Malley’s fate was sealed” at that time.
Alireza Namvar, a political analyst told Iran International TV that it is not clear if Malley’s security clearance is being reviewed for his contacts with Iranians or for mishandling secret documents, but in any case, he had not reached any success during his two years as special envoy.
Hormoz Sharifian a journalist and political editor in Tehran tweeted that Malley’s “removal shows to what extent Democrats ignore Iran’s national interests. This does not mean that Republicans care about our national interests. No! But Democrats’ track record on Iran is far darker and unforgiveable.” He then added the Persian hashtag Carter, for President Jimmy Carter, believed by many Iranians to have abandoned the last Iranian monarch Mohammad Reza Shah in 1978 before the Islamic revolution.
Hossein Aghaie, a security and geopolitics analyst told Iran International TV that Malley’s departure does not necessarily mean there would be a change in Biden’s Iran policy, although he was one of the main players in the Obama and Biden administrations’ “appeasement” policy toward Tehran.
Both administrations only cared about Iran’s nuclear issue, while the regime in Tehran poses a multi-faceted threat, Aghaie argued. He added that this is the reason why they never had an overall policy to confront complex, hybrid threats the regime poses.
Iranian human rights activist Lawdan Bazargan tweeted that “This is a big dishonor for the Biden administration’s negotiating team. Another important point is that Malley’s firing was one of the demands of the [Iranian] opposition that we finally achieved.”
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks during a ceremony with ambassadors, charges d'affaires, and heads of diplomatic missions from Muslim countries in Tehran on Thursday, on the occasion of Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).
"We welcome expansion of relations and normalization of ties with other countries in the region and the Muslim world, including the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Muslim and brotherly country of Morocco," he said.
Tehran-Rabat relations are mostly non-existent, and diplomatic relations between the two nations have often been tarred by disputes.
Concerned of Iran’s attempts to spread its Shiite version of Islam in the country, which it deemed as a danger to its moderate Sunni religious identity, Morocco severed ties with Iran in 2009. They announced they were re-establishing relations in 2014. But in 2018, Morocco cut its diplomatic ties with Iran again, with the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita citing Iranian financial and logistical support to the secessionist Polisario Front through its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah and the Iranian embassy in Algeria.
Iran’s relations with Egypt, a close ally of Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations, have been fraught since the Shah fell in 1979. His subsequent refuge in Egypt, where he died and was buried in 1980, damaged relations.Qatar-affiliated media outlet Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed reported last June that Cairo and Tehran had agreed on “gradual expansion of Tehran-Cairo relations."
In May, Iranian lawmaker Fada-Hossein Maleki, a member of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy committee, said that talks to bolster ties between Iran and Egypt are being held regularly in Iraq.
After multiple inquiries, State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said Thursday afternoon in a statement that "Rob Malley is on leave and Abram Paley is serving as acting Special Envoy for Iran and leading the Department’s work in this area."
Multiple sources told us that Malley is under investigation for yet unknown reasons and one source said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is also involved.
According to our sources, Malley has been absent for a considerable period prompting speculation about potential conduct-related issues, which could affect his security clearance.
Speaking to Iran International on the condition of anonymity, a source familiar with the case confirmed Mr. Malley's absence, saying, "He has completely vanished. No calls, no meetings."
Considering Mr. Malley's essential role in formulating US policy towards Iran, his abrupt and prolonged absence raised considerable questions. Iran International sought clarification earlier on Friday from the State Department regarding the nature of his leave and security clearance status.
In response, the State Department replied by email, "The Department of State, the Special Envoy for Iran, and his team remain deeply engaged on the formulation and implementation of US Iran Policy."
The Department's spokesperson reiterated the same during his daily briefing on Friday before spokesperson Miller confirmed that Malley is on leave.
The initial email did not clarify who is holding the position of ‘Special Envoy for Iran’. In further correspondence, we asked: "Can you please confirm whether Abram Paley is currently Acting Interim Special Envoy for Iran?" The state department's answer was short: "Hello, we decline to comment."
Journalist Barak Ravid tweeted after Iran International's exclusive report first appeared that Malley told him: "I have been informed that my security clearance is under review. I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave."
Another informed source confirmed to Iran International that Rob Malley did not participate in the early May negotiations with Iranians in Oman. Instead, the White House Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk led the US delegation.
Axios had previously reported that McGurk journeyed to Muscat on May 8, following a visit to Saudi Arabia with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Malley's absence from the Oman negotiations implies that the White House and the US National Security Council have assumed control of the discussions with Iran, effectively sidelining the special envoy.
President Biden appointed Mr. Malley primarily to revive the JCPOA, abandoned by former President Donald Trump in 2018. During 2021 and 2022, Malley worked on convincing Iranian leaders to comply with the JCPOA's stipulated limitations on their nuclear program. However, the Iranian nuclear negotiators never agreed to meet with him or with any other US official.
During his tenure, the Biden administration practically stopped enforcing US oil sanctions intended to persuade Tehran to scale back its uranium enrichment program.
Iran was barely exporting 250,000 barrels of oil per day during 2019 and first half of 2020, but shipments began to increase in the latter part of that year as Joe Biden signaled his readiness to negotiate for the revival of the JCPOA. Industry sources report that Iran’s daily oil exports have now reached 1.5 million barrels.
According to Iran International sources, Malley had been deeply involved in trying to free dual national prisoners from Iran before his unexpected leave. The sources suggest that he intended to step down from his position following their release, hoping to end his tenure on a high note.
Earlier this year, Iran International released an exclusive report disclosing Mr. Malley's dealings with Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeed Iravani, a former senior official in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
These discussions are thought to be the first direct contact between the US and Iranian officials since Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018. In response to our January inquiries about these meetings, the State Department stated, "We have the means to deliver specific and firm messages to Iran when it is in America's interest to do so." The Financial Times confirmed our initial report in June.
UPDATED AT 20:15 GMT, June 29
Axios reported Wednesday that US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in a tough call with his Israeli counterpart last week expressed concern that Israel is leaking information to the press about indirect talks between the US and Iran.
According to Axios, Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Ron Dermer, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, met Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan at the White House in early June and were briefed in detail about the indirect talks.
Since then, Israel has said in no uncertain terms that it objects to any kind of interim nuclear deal with Iran, however small.
Nevertheless, in public, the talks continue to be denied. This week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken once again slammed the rumors, which have now come from multiple sources, of any talks being afoot, claiming no new nuclear deal with Iran was on the table.
"There is no agreement in the offing, even as we continue to be willing to explore diplomatic paths," Blinken said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. This was reiterated by the US State Department at its weekly press briefing on Wednesday with principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel who told Iran International’s Samira Gharaei that “rumors of an Iran deal and interim or otherwise are false and they are misleading”.
In line with the Biden policy jargon, he told Gharaei: “As you've heard me say, we prefer diplomacy, but we are preparing for all possible options and contingencies, and we are in full coordination with our allies and partners on this.”
Highlighting the ongoing concerns raised by Israel, Patel repeated the importance of supporting the Jewish state in its right to defend itself in the face of continuous threats from Iran.
“Our commitment to Israel and our commitment to Israel's ability to defend itself are ironclad,” he said. Confirming at least that aspect of US diplomatic discussions with Iran, he added: “This is what we have been clear about in our communications to Iran. Should it take any steps to further escalate tensions, the Biden administration has been clear that we're prepared to take action to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.”
Quashing rumors that Biden’s softly-softly approach to Iran is moving away from the tough sanctions imposed under the nuclear deal, or JCPOA, which is set to expire in October, he said the administration’s policy to Iran has not changed.
“We continue to remain deeply focused on Iran's destabilising behaviour through diplomatic pressure through close coordination with our allies and partners and we are committed to ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. So of course, we are watching Iran's actions and activities very closely.”
The EU has just announced that even when October’s deadline approaches, it will continue to apply sanctions to the regime, showing that regardless of US policy, its position on Iran will remain unchanged. It is yet to be seen if the US will impose such a clear policy, Patel only saying they continue to coordinate with allies and partners, including the EU.