Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) alleged Tuesday that a shocking new report suggests the Iranian government is influencing Biden administration policy.
"These reports and emails suggest a vast Iranian influence operation that goes to the very top of the administration," Cruz stated in a press release. That operation, Cruz suggested, may explain why President Joe Biden has "allowed the regime to get within reach of a nuclear arsenal, restore their economy, and export millions of barrels per day of oil worth hundreds of billions of dollars."
Biden's disgraced Iran envoy, Rob Malley, employed at least three advisers—Ariane Tabatabai, Dina Esfandiary, and Ali Vaez—who were part of an Iran Foreign Ministry scheme to bolster its policy positions, according to the Tuesday Semafor report, which was based on leaked Iranian government emails.
Malley was suspended this year for allegedly mishandling classified information.
Tabatabai served as a member of Malley's Iran diplomacy team and now works for the Pentagon as chief of staff for the assistant secretary of defense for special operations. Esfandiary and Vaez are not affiliated with the U.S. government, though Malley tried to appoint Vaez to a government job. Vaez could not obtain security clearance for the position, according to a report by Iran International.
Cruz is not the only Republican demanding answers following the report. Reps. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.) and Jack Bergman (R., Mich.) in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked if the Pentagon knew of Tabatabai's Iran ties.
The Pentagon on Tuesday defended Tabatabai, telling the Washington Free Beacon that she was "properly vetted" before she received security clearance.
Cruz insisted that the administration should immediately remove Tabatabai's clearance.
"The Biden administration should immediately cease its secret diplomacy with Iran and its dismantling of sanctions," the Texas senator wrote, "and any officials linked to these emails should immediately have their security clearances pulled until these allegations are fully resolved and accountability is imposed."