The Tehran Times - an Iranian state media outlet - has published a “Sensitive But Unclassified” memo to Iran Envoy Rob Malley explaining why his clearance was suspended.
The letter looks authentic to me. Indicates Malley also lied about not knowing why his clearance was pulled.
The fact the Iranians knew why his clearance was pulled - and that Congress did not until just now - is deeply troubling on many levels…
Congress needs to know whether Iran has access to all State Dept unclassified emails, and what is being done to fix that.
Malley sent several media outlets a statement two months after his suspension claiming he had not been told why his clearance was revoked (just one example below).
THREAD: I’ve spoken with career @StateDept Iran officials about the latest hostage/nuke deal with Iran. They are very upset and tell me the admin’s public answers are misguided.
“This is 100% a ransom payment...100% this will lead to more Americans being taken hostage.”
2⃣ On internal views - one told me: “There is virtually zero support for this hostage deal or nuclear ‘pause’ deal among the rank-and-file diplomats who have any history working on Iran”.
A couple tell me most @StateDept_NEA bureau leadership are concerned about the Iran file.
3⃣ On whether this is a ransom payment: “Yeah, there’s no question about it, this is a ransom payment.
The payment was a pre-requisite for their release. Let’s not forget there are other Americans left behind in jail too.”
🧵THREAD: It has been over a year since Iranian state-owned airlines started ferrying suicide drones to Russia.
And yet in the next seven days, these same airlines will land at 12 airports in NATO countries - each flight in violation of U.S. terror and WMD sanctions. (1/7)
2⃣ Open-source intelligence shows 3 Iranian-owned airlines (Iran Air, Mahan Air, and Qeshm Air) have been flying regular routes to Moscow loaded with IRGC trainers and Shahed-136 drones.
These airlines and aircraft are all sanctioned by the United States - some for years now.
3⃣ Yet according to flight tracking data I acquired from @flightradar24, these sanctioned airlines are still flying regular routes to these major European airports.
In some cases the airplanes going to Europe are the same ones carrying missiles into Syria and drones into Russia.
🧵From 2020-2022, 🇮🇷 Iran held multiple 🇬🇧 British citizens hostage, plotted to kidnap/kill a dozen Brits in London, executed a British citizen, and vandalized the UK’s embassy in Tehran.
In response, the UK more than tripled their trade with Iran - from £191M to £696M.
These statistics come from a new release of data by the UK's Department of Business and Trade.
They show UK imports of Iranian goods increasing by 18% in 2022 - while Iran was slaughtering protesters and giving suicide drones to Russia for their invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the UK permits a branch of Bank Melli to operate in the Kensington neighborhood of London.
Bank Melli has been sanctioned by the U.S. for enabling the flow of billions of dollars to the IRGC and other terror groups that have killed dozens of British citizens.
NEW: 6 Dem and 6 GOP Senators wrote to Biden asking why his administration is not funding the DHS program that seizes illegal Iranian oil and gas shipments.
That program had seized nearly $228M in oil linked to the IRGC since 2019. Treasury cut off funds to the program in FY22.
75% of the proceeds from those seized oil shipments used to go to victims of Iran's terrorism.
Now that we're not seizing Iran's oil, the #IRGCterrorists have even more money to support terrorism across the world.
It's really unacceptable that this important initiative is being sidelined.
Fortunately, this is a bipartisan concern. Thanks to @SenJoniErnst & @SenBlumenthal for leading this important oversight effort.
Did you know that the EU has promised to end its arms embargo to Iran this October?
That UN sanctions on Iran selling drones and missiles expires this October too?
That all UN sanctions on Iran end in <31 months, perhaps permanently?
If not, this THREAD is for you.🧵
Back in 2006-2010, the UN Security Council unanimously passed six resolutions against Iran.
These permanently prohibited Iran from conducting all arms sales, uranium enrichment, plutonium reprocessing, ballistic missiles tests/development, and much more.
In 2015, international negotiators made two agreements with Iran: the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
Instead of keeping permanent restrictions on Iran, they let all UN sanctions on Iran expire – regardless of whether the regime kept to its side of the bargain.
VICTORY. After a year exposing and shaming Biden's approval for a $10 billion nuke deal between Russia and Iran, the @StateDept has finally backed down and cancelled it!
But they are STILL giving sanctions immunity to other Russia-Iranian work... (1/4)
But the @StateDept is still allowing Russia (through state-owned company Rosatom) to help Iran at the Bushehr nuclear site's reactor, to provide fresh nuclear fuel, and to remove spent nuclear fuel.
We shouldn't be giving them MORE business. They just hit record annual profits.