The Biden administration is appeasing the Islamic Republic of Iran , the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The administration is also keeping Congress and the people in the dark about it.
Perhaps nothing better encapsulates the administration’s lack of transparency than the unfolding saga of Robert Malley, once the State Department’s special envoy for negotiations with Tehran.
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On June 29, it was revealed that Malley was under investigation. Initially, the State Department declined to provide any updates on Malley’s status, asserting that he remained the special envoy. Later, the administration acknowledged that Malley was "on leave." Malley himself told journalist Barak Ravid that his "security clearance is under review" but that he "expects the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon." Both the White House and the State Department have declined to provide any additional details about Malley’s suspension, which some have linked to the mishandling of classified information. The FBI is reportedly also investigating.
On July 14, Malley’s bio was removed from the State Department’s website, replaced by that of Deputy Special Envoy Abram Paley. Eighteen Republican senators and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul (R-TX) have demanded answers — even requesting the inspector general to investigate and report back to Congress. McCaul had previously requested additional information, only to be rebuffed by the State Department.
All of this is very troubling. Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, destabilizing the Middle East, plotting to kill Americans like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo , and threatening key U.S. allies like Israel. The Malley saga is emblematic of the administration’s entire Iran policy, which, even by the cloak-and-dagger standards of secret diplomacy, has been particularly opaque.
As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden pledged to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, which the Trump administration exited . Since taking office Biden has pursued that policy with a single-minded determination. Indeed, the decision to appoint Malley, a well-known supporter of rapprochement with Tehran, was in keeping with this desire . In its initial weeks and months, the White House quit enforcing numerous sanctions that the Trump administration had levied against Iran. As Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has pointed out , many of these sanctions were working.
Other underhanded methods have been pursued to appease Iran’s ruling theocrats. For example, in March 2021, the U.S. greenlighted the release of Iranian funds that had been frozen in Iraq. Baghdad has since repaid billions in natural gas debts that it owed to Iran.
Put simply, the administration has been all but throwing cash at Tehran to reach a deal. Nor has the White House been open with Congress about talks — violating a pledge that Antony Blinken made during his confirmation hearings to be secretary of state.
Both Congress and the people deserve a far more transparent approach to Iran from this administration.
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The writer is a Senior Research Analyst for CAMERA, the 65,000-member, Boston-based Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.
