Malley, appointed as President Biden’s special representative for Iran in 2021, played a key role in secret negotiations with the Iranian government. However, he lost his security clearance in April 2023 due to allegations of transferring classified documents to personal devices, which were subsequently stolen by an unidentified cyber actor.

A critical report released by the State Department in September indicated that senior officials had permitted Malley to retain access to classified information even after his suspension. Alarmingly, the report suggested that department leadership may have sought to obscure the matter from Congress and the public, raising concerns about a possible cover-up.

Shortly after Malley’s suspension was made public in August 2023, the *Tehran Times* published sensitive yet unclassified State Department documents that included an explanation for the revocation of Malley’s security clearance. A month later, the publication released audio recordings of National Security Council coordinator Brett McGurk discussing “national security options towards Iran.”