TEHRAN – Several American politicians have reacted to the exclusive report published by the Tehran Times regarding the suspension of U.S. envoy for Iran Rob Malley’s security clearances. 

Speaking to an American media outlet, Senator Josh Hawley criticized the Biden administration for not providing clear information while Tehran Times has released astonishing information about the case, Mehr News reported. 

Hawley expressed outrage at the administration's lack of transparency regarding Malley and his efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord. Referring to the article by Tehran Times, Senator Hawley criticized the government for not being forthcoming. He said that an official Iranian newspaper is publishing all this information and knowing it, yet the US government won't be honest about it. He further stated, "It's ridiculous."

"I feel like I've been lied to... They (the administration) lie to us all the time on various issues, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, China... It's a pattern in this administration," he added.
Answering a question about the article published by Tehran Times, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that he cannot confirm that Malley was asked to go on leave on April 21st. 

"I will just say, as I said, I am very limited in what I can say about this matter. It’s a personnel matter. There are rules imposed on us by the Privacy Act that make it – limit what we can say. I can say that on June 29th, Rob stopped performing the duties of the special envoy for Iran. He went on leave several weeks before that, but I can’t say it with any more degree of specificity."

He added that he cannot confirm that not only Secretary Blinken but also Abram Paley have not met with Malley since.

Asked if he'd read the Tehran Times article and is aware of the details included in it, Miller did not specify whether it's true or not, saying, "I did not say that. I did not say that. I was responding to the question she asked me."

Responding to another question about whether he finds it problematic that Iranian government media knows more about Rob Malley’s case than they do, he stressed, "I would not agree with that characterization."

The investigation into Malley was initially conducted by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, but State Department sources informed that the case was passed on to the FBI, which could suggest alleged criminal foul play.

The FBI’s involvement raises the stakes of the investigation into a veteran, high-profile, and sometimes controversial diplomat, and suggests that investigators are considering something beyond the lowest-level mishandling of documents.