Ted Cruz warns of alleged ‘Iranian spies’ in Biden admin: ‘One of the greatest national security scandals’
Sen. Ted Cruz has struck an ominous tone about three people he says are “Iranian spies” working in the Biden administration, including some who have had access to classified information.
In June, the White House placed its former special envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, on leave during an investigation that included his security clearance being suspended.
“What you just mentioned with Rob Malley remains one of the greatest national security scandals in our nation’s history,” Cruz (R-Texas) told Maria Bartiromo, host of Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“But we now know also that, among other things, three of Rob Malley’s top advisers, his inner circle that he relied on, were Iranian operatives,” Cruz alleged. “They were recruited by the government of Iran.”
Cruz’s remarks are in reference to a bombshell report from Semafor last month that the Iranian Foreign Ministry embarked on a campaign to influence US policy toward the regime.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry reportedly established a covert network of overseas academics as part of the Iran Experts Initiative.
At least two were hired as top aides to Malley and a third was tapped for a think tank he once ran, according to the report.
One of the aides named in the report — Ariane Tabatabai — currently works as the Pentagon’s chief of staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations.
Tabatabai worked for Malley where she helped him on the nuclear negotiation team before switching to her current role in the Pentagon.
She appears to have kept her top-level security clearance despite the bombshell report alleging she was named in the Iranian influence campaign.
“One of them, as far as we know, remains a chief of staff in the Department of Defense to this day with access to classified documents,” Cruz said. “Yet, the corporate media cannot be brought to mention that three Iranian spies were brought into senior levels of government with access to classified materials while working directly for Iran.”
Malley was one of the chief negotiators on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear agreement that former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.
Malley has since landed a gig at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs as a visiting professor and lecturer.
Numerous Republicans have raised concerns about Malley and the Semafor report detailing Iranian influence in US academia and government.
The Biden administration has also elicited criticism from the GOP over the roughly $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue holed up in the Qatar banking system that was agreed to be unfrozen in a prisoner swap deal last month.
Administration officials have countered that none of that money has gone back to Iran yet, and privately, Treasury officials have reportedly assured members of Congress that it won’t go anywhere soon.
Iran has been in the foreign policy limelight recently because of Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Tehran has long been a backer of the group, which is designated a terrorist organization by the US.
So far, at least 1,400 Israelis and 31 Americans have been killed in the deadly war that has erupted in response to Hamas’ attack, according to authorities.
