He was part of the team that negotiated the nuclear accord with Iran and world powers, an agreement that Donald Trump abandoned in 2018
The Biden administration on Thursday named Robert Malley, a former top adviser in the Obama administration, as special envoy for Iran, a senior State Department official said, confirming an earlier Reuters report.
Mr. Malley was a key member of former President Barack Obama’s team that negotiated the nuclear accord with Iran and world powers, an agreement that Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 despite strong opposition from Washington’s European allies.
When Malley’s name first surfaced in news reports as a leading candidate for the post, he drew criticism from some Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel groups who expressed concern that he would be soft on Iran and tough on Israel. But a number of foreign policy veterans rushed to his defense.
The post will put Malley at the forefront of Biden’s efforts to find a way to deal with Iran after years of worsening relations under former President Donald Trump, who pulled out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions. The Diplomatic news website was first to report on Malley’s expected appointment.
When Malley’s name first surfaced in news reports as a leading candidate for the post, he drew criticism from some Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel groups who expressed concern that he would be soft on Iran and tough on Israel. But a number of foreign policy veterans rushed to his defense.
The post will put Malley at the forefront of Biden’s efforts to find a way to deal with Iran after years of worsening relations under former President Donald Trump, who pulled out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions. The Diplomatic news website was first to report on Malley’s expected appointment.