Washington: As a result of allegations that he may have improperly handled classified information, the special representative for Iran under the Biden administration has been placed on unpaid leave and had his security clearance suspended, according to US officials on Thursday.
Rob Malley has led administration efforts to resurrect the ailing Iran nuclear deal and resolve problems involving Americans who are being held in Iran, but he has been inactive in his primary position for weeks. He informed his coworkers that he would be absent for a long time due to unnamed family obligations.
The investigation centres on Malley's handling of classified documents, according to two State Department officials, and is being overseen by the bureau's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. According to the officials, they were made aware of Malley's switch from paid to unpaid leave on Thursday, not long after concerns about his situation were brought up at the State Department's regular afternoon briefing. Due to privacy concerns, the officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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Malley did not respond right away to a question from The Associated Press about the circumstance, but he did issue a brief statement to a number of other news organisations stating that he had "been informed that my security clearance is under review."
"I haven't received any new information, but I anticipate that the investigation will be resolved quickly and favourably. I'm on leave in the interim," he said in that statement.
Malley is officially still in his position, but he is on leave, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, who also noted that Malley's deputy, Abram Paley, is currently serving as the acting special envoy for Iran.
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Since Malley failed to show up for a confidential congressional briefing on Iran on May 16, his whereabouts have come under scrutiny. Malley was reportedly on "extended personal leave" at the time, and State Department representatives informed lawmakers that he might have a family health issue as the reason for his absence.
During the Trump administration, Malley worked for the International Crisis Group and was a close personal friend of Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He frequently interacted in that capacity with Iranian and Palestinian officials, with whom US officials are not permitted to have contact.
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Malley assisted in the National Security Council's negotiations for the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran while working for the Obama administration.