GOP Leaders Seek Transparency in Biden’s Iran Policy in View of Hamas Attack on Israel

The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 3, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

House Republicans are continuing their investigation of the Biden administration’s failed Iran policy, with specific regard to using questionable officials in its negotiations with Iran.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) said in an Oct. 11 press release that they are actively scrutinizing the administration’s policy, and secret negotiations with officials who reportedly have sympathetic ties to the Iranian regime.

In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers have requested documents, information, and a briefing to assist in their investigation.

“The administration’s lack of transparency is even more troubling in light of press reports about Iran’s direct role in this weekend’s attack on Israel by Hamas and additional revelations that former Special Envoy for Iran (SEI), Robert Malley, and members of his negotiating team may have had compromising ties to the Iranian regime,” the committee members said in their letter.

Questions about Iran’s ties to terrorism have been at the forefront of many political conversations since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7.

The terrorists infiltrated Israel via land, sea, and air, and video footage from near the Gaza Strip showed civilians being murdered and kidnapped.

The committee cited the administration’s lack of transparency, saying it raises further concerns in light of reports detailing Iran’s direct involvement in the recent Hamas attack on Israel.

The concessions to Iran made recently by the United States could potentially be in violation of the Iranian Nuclear Review Act, according to the committee.

They say these concessions were granted at a time when Mr. Malley, the administration’s chief negotiator with Iran, was under investigation for alleged mishandling of classified material.

Mr. Malley had a previous history of appeasing United States’ adversaries, including meetings with the terrorist group Hamas, according to the press release, and their investigation into the alleged security violations by Mr. Malley was of such gravity that he was suspended from his position without pay.

According to recent media reports, a former member of Mr. Malley’s Iran negotiating team, Ariane Tabatabai, maintained close contact with the Iranian regime for years.

Ms. Tabatabai was part of the regime-backed Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), which was initiated by senior Iranian Foreign Ministry officials in 2014.

The initiative’s alleged purpose was to cultivate a network of European and U.S. researchers who could help bolster Iran’s global image on security matters, particularly its nuclear program.

Members of the IEI reportedly worked closely with the Iranian regime to achieve this objective.

Astonishingly, the lawmakers said, despite her previous interactions with Iranian regime officials through this unofficial network, including consultations regarding her potential travels, Ms. Tabatabai now holds a high-level position within the Department of Defense (DoD), where she still maintains a security clearance.

A State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that, “As a general matter, we do not comment on Congressional correspondence,” and that “Rob Malley remains on leave.”

The spokesperson went on to say that the State Department did not have any further comment due to privacy considerations, but that the department has “always acted in accordance with the requirements of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA) and will continue to do so. Any notion to the contrary is false.”

Previous Requests for Information

The House Foreign Affairs Committee also released a statement on Oct. 11, citing their letter sent to Mr. Blinken the previous week, expressing concerns about Mr. Malley’s interactions with Iran.

“Communication from the State Department on the suspension of Mr. Malley’s security clearance has been woefully inadequate. The Department has failed to adequately respond to repeated formal requests for additional information,” wrote the lawmakers.

In their request, the Foreign Affairs Committee asked the State Department specifically for documents about the suspension of Mr. Malley’s security clearance. They also seek to confirm if sensitive or classified information was passed to members of the IEI network.

Furthermore, they inquired whether Diplomatic Security or any other entity was aware of Ms. Tabatabai’s alleged affiliation with IEI or her past contact with members of the Iranian regime and other information about the official.

They also aim to find out when the State Department became aware of Mr. Malley’s connections with individuals in direct contact with the Iranian regime and whether a department-wide investigation is being pursued.

The lawmakers want to know if Mr. Malley was read into covert action programs or DoD special access programs and if his actions that led to the suspension of his clearance had an impact on U.S.-Iran policy or negotiations related to Iran’s nuclear program.

They are also seeking to confirm the authenticity of a memorandum informing Mr. Malley of his suspended security clearance and, among other requests, inquire about a top-to-bottom security review by the department following these developments and the release of sensitive government documents.

Administration’s Statements on Hamas Attack

Demonstrations in the United States in support of Palestinian people and Hamas’ incursion into Israel have prompted the Biden administration to voice its support for protecting Jewish people in the United States, as stated by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during her Oct. 10 press briefing. 

When asked how concerned the administration is about clashes between Jewish and Palestinian people in the United States, Ms. Jean-Pierre said the administration believes it is “important” to make sure the Jewish community in the United States is “protected.”

“We’re always going to denounce any act of violence against any community, and certainly going to continue to show our support and going to be vigilant on that don’t have anything else to go beyond that.”

On the same day, during the press briefing in Washington, national security adviser Jake Sullivan blasted Iran for its “deep, dark” role in funding and supporting Hamas in recent years.

Mr. Sullivan, however, has said the Biden administration is not 100 percent confident of Iran’s complicity in the terrorist attack on Israeli civilians this past weekend.

The national security adviser to President Joe Biden has said that Iran has not spent any of the $6 billion it received in the recent prisoner swap deal.