INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN - Rob Malley, the U.S
amid an investigation into his handling of classified material, multiple sources told CNN.A U.S
of classified information
clearance is under review
I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon
job but was not allowed to access classified information, said the U.S
official, who requested anonymity while discussing a sensitive matter.Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the State Department
Thursday afternoon, after earlier in the day saying that Malley remained in the role.Previously, Malley had played a key role in U.S
efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal, one of the thorniest foreign policy challenges facing the Biden administration following former
He had also played a leading role in seeking to secure the release of Americans detained in Iran.Earlier this year, two sources said, the
official announcements about replacing him
Some officials at the State Department were told that Malley was handing personal matters, which is why he had taken a back seat on the Iran
portfolio, two State Department officials and a third person who was briefed told CNN.In recent months, Malley has appeared to maintain a
prominent role in working to secure the release of Americans detained in Iran
He has been in regular contact with the families of those held, speaking with them as recently as within the last week, two sources told
CNN.Malley also engaged with the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations earlier this year, but it is unclear if those engagements came
program and the Biden administration has put Brett McGurk, a top National Security Council official, into that role.Malley, who was
appointed as special envoy for Iran about a week after Joe Biden took office in 2021, engaged in the efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal
since the beginning of the Biden administration
Under Obama he was part of the diplomatic negotiating team that helped craft the Iran nuclear deal
He has been a target for Iran hawks who cast him as an Iran sympathizer.Malley also has been friends with Secretary of State Antony Blinken
for decades, dating back to their days as teenage classmates in Paris.
