A coalition of Republican lawmakers is investigating allegations that Iranian spies have infiltrated the Biden administration and gained access to sensitive US government information. According to a letter sent to the White House, Iran has demonstrated access to restricted US State Department emails and government servers, posing a significant security breach.
The leaks, which have appeared in Iranian state-controlled propaganda outlets, are considered a serious breach of US government property by a foreign adversary. The investigation is being conducted by the Republican Study Committee, Congress’s largest Republican caucus, and could lead to the Biden administration acknowledging Iran’s breach of sensitive US networks.
The probe comes after a report by Semafor detailed a propaganda network linked to the Iranian regime, known as the Iran Experts Initiative. This network allegedly includes senior Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai and other influential academics who reported to Iran’s foreign ministry and promoted Tehran’s talking points with American policymakers.
In August, when news of the suspension of Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley’s security clearance became public, the Tehran Times, a regime-controlled outlet, published reports containing what appeared to be sensitive US government documents. These leaks have raised concerns about an Iranian intelligence operation and the possibility of Iran gaining access to restricted US State Department emails.
The lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to verify the authenticity of the leaks and explain the steps being taken to prevent further leaks to the Iranian regime. They also want clarification on whether Robert Malley had access to the sensitive documents and information published by the Tehran Times. Additionally, they seek information on whether non-governmental Iran analysts associated with Malley were involved in the chain of custody of the US documents published by the Iranian outlet.
The lawmakers stress the importance of the administration providing answers and coming clean about Iran’s espionage efforts, given the seriousness of the allegations and the potential national security implications.
