US Special Envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, has been placed on leave as his handling of sensitive material is being reviewed, potentially related to his management of classified documents, amid former President Donald Trump’s indictment on mishandling documents.
The US point-man in Iran has been placed on leave, the State Department said Thursday, as reports said his handling of sensitive material was under review.
Special envoy Rob Malley, in a statement to several news outlets, confirmed that his security clearance was under review and hoped the investigation would be resolved “favorably.”
CNN, quoting anonymous sources, said the review related to his handling of classified documents.
While details of the case were unclear, the review comes amid a growing spotlight on classified material after former president Donald Trump was indicted on charges of mishandling documents from his time in office.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said only that Malley was on leave and that Abram Paley, his deputy, was leading work on Iran.
Malley, who has long-faced fierce criticism from hawks, was one of the negotiators of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran under former president Barack Obama that was trashed by his successor, Trump.
Malley led months of indirect negotiations with Iran mediated by the European Union to restore the deal. Tehran was promised sanctions relief in return for sharply curtailing its nuclear program.
The talks ultimately collapsed in part over disputes on the extent of sanctions relief by the United States, with the opposition also rising to a deal after major protests erupted against Iran’s clerical regime.
Malley has been conspicuously absent in quite new indirect talks between the two countries, which were brokered by Oman and focused mainly on the fate of US prisoners in Iran.
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
