>Dough
TYB
just a reminder of the Iranian Spy Ring from the Potato Regime
Iranian Spies Have Infiltrated the American Government, Lawmakers Warn
Leaks constitute 'a significant security breach of U.S. government property by a foreign adversary'
Biden, Iran's Ali Khamenei (Win McNamee and Majid/Getty Images)
Adam Kredo
September 27, 2023
The Iranian government has infiltrated the Biden administration and obtained access to sensitive U.S. government information, according to a coalition of Republican lawmakers who are investigating the matter.
Iran has repeatedly demonstrated in the past several months that it has access "to restricted U.S. State Department emails or government servers," according to a letter sent Wednesday to the White House by congressional Republicans and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
The series of leaks, which have appeared in Iranian state-controlled propaganda outlets, "constitute a significant security breach of U.S. government property by a foreign adversary" and could indicate there is a mole inside the Biden administration, according to Reps. Kevin Hern (R., Okla.) and Joe Wilson (R., S.C.) and Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.). The probe is being handled by the Republican Study Committee, Congress's largest Republican caucus, and could force the Biden administration into admitting Iran has breached sensitive U.S. networks.
The investigation comes on the heels of a bombshell report Tuesday by Semafor detailing a vast propaganda network linked to the hardline regime in Tehran. That network, known as the Iran Experts Initiative, allegedly includes senior Pentagon official Ariane Tabatabai, as well as other "influential overseas academics" who reported to Iran's foreign ministry and helped push Tehran's talking points with American policymakers. Several of those identified as members of the Iranian government-run network include former aides to U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley, who was suspended from his post earlier this year for allegedly mishandling classified information.
In August, when news of Malley's suspension was just becoming public, the Tehran Times, a regime-controlled outlet, published reports containing what appeared to be sensitive U.S. government documents, including a "sensitive but unclassified" internal State Department letter that purportedly outlines why Malley's security clearance was revoked. Just a month later, the publication published audio of National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk discussing in a private meeting what the lawmakers' letter described as "national security options towards Iran."
>just a reminder of the Iranian Spy Ring from the Potato Regime
Fake NEws MSDNC rolled out iranian spy ring leader Robert Malley to criticize Potus in Iran last week.
Both leaks, the lawmakers write, have the hallmarks of an Iranian intelligence operation and "may indicate that [the] Islamic Republic's intelligence apparatus has been able somehow to obtain access to restricted U.S. State Department emails." Access to these networks is closely controlled, meaning that Iran either hacked the system or was passed the information by a human source.
"This could mean that U.S. government employees leaked restricted and sensitive government documents," according to the lawmakers. "Either possibility is gravely concerning."
The lawmakers also express anger at the Biden administration for ignoring "repeated congressional inquiries into the circumstances that led to the suspension of Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley's security clearance." Members of Congress, they say, "have obtained more information from the pages of the Tehran Times than from U.S. government briefings."
"It is shocking that the Tehran Times, a propaganda arm of Iran's terror-sponsoring regime, somehow obtained sensitive internal State Department documents about the suspension of Special Envoy Rob Malley's security clearance," Hagerty told the Free Beacon. "The Biden administration must explain how this happened, especially after recent news reports about how current administration officials and those close to them were directly involved in the so-called Iran Experts Initiative, an Iranian regime-run foreign influence network that operated in the United States and around the world."
Hagerty and his RSC colleagues are asking the White House to verify if the repeated leaks are authentic and "describe the steps your administration is taking to prevent further leaks of information to the Iranian regime."
The administration must also explain if Malley had access to any of the sensitive documents and information that made their way into the Tehran Times, a revelation that could provide some clarity about why the diplomat was suspended from his job.
The lawmakers also want to know if a cadre of non-governmental Iran analysts associated with Malley were "involved in chain of custody of the U.S. documents that were ultimately published" by the Iranian outlet.
"It’s deeply concerning that the terrorist regime in Iran may know more about Rob Malley’s clearance issues than Congress," said Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.). "It is imperative that the administration explain to Congress what’s going on especially in light of the reports yesterday regarding Iran’s cozy relationship with a number of Biden administration officials."
Those analysts include Trita Parsi, a Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft official who has been accused of lobbying for Iran's regime; Ali Vaez, whom Semafor named as a member of the secret pro-Iran network; and Vali Nasr, an Iranian-American academic who has pushed for increased diplomacy with Tehran.
"We expect the administration to come clean and explain to Congress the extent of Iran's espionage efforts," Hern, the chairman of the RSC, told the Free Beacon. "The American people deserve answers."
In addition to RSC's latest probe into the leaks, Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee are asking for a security review of Pentagon official Tabatabai, with several calling for her top-secret clearance to be revoked. Tabatabai "on at least two occasions checked in with Iran's Foreign Ministry before attending policy events," according to the Semafor report.
Update 4:28 p.m.: This post has been updated with comment from Rep. Wilson.
Published under: Biden Administration , Bill Hagerty , Espionage , Iran , Joe Wilson , Kevin Hern , Robert Malley , State Department
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iranian-spies-have-infiltrated-the-american-government-lawmakers-warn/
>just a reminder of the Iranian Spy Ring from the Potato Regime
>Fake NEws MSDNC rolled out iranian spy ring leader Robert Malley to criticize Potus in Iran last week.
Imagine a group of friends from one country secretly trying to get their ideas into another country's big decisions. That's the simple version of this story.
### The "Iran Experts Initiative" (IEI)
Iran (a country that often doesn't like the U.S.) wanted to make America nicer toward them, especially about their nuclear program and other rules. They secretly talked to some Iranian-American experts living in the U.S. (smart people who study Iran and write articles/opinions).
These experts agreed to help push ideas that sounded good for Iran — like "Let's make a deal with them" or "Don't be too tough on them." Iran gave them guidance through emails (which later got leaked).
### Robert Malley's Role
Robert Malley was a top U.S. expert on Iran. He worked on the 2015 nuclear deal under Obama, then became Biden's special envoy for Iran (like the main guy talking to/dealing with Iran).
Reports say Malley:
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Knew some of these experts.
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Helped them get jobs, money, or important spots (including at the State Department and even the Pentagon).
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Ran a group (International Crisis Group) that paid or supported some of them.
One key person, Ariane Tabatabai, became a top aide to Malley and later got a sensitive Pentagon job.
### What Happened in the Biden Administration
In 2023, Malley's security clearance (permission to see secret government info) was suspended. He was put on leave. Reasons:
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He put classified (secret) information on his personal email and phone.
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That info may have been hacked or seen by bad actors (possibly Iran or others).
The FBI is still investigating if he broke laws. There are also claims the State Department didn't handle his suspension perfectly (they let him join a classified call even after it started).
Leaked Iranian emails (reported by places like Semafor and Iran International) showed this influence network. Republicans called it a "spy ring" or influence operation run with Malley's help. Others say it was just normal expert networking and the stories are exaggerated or a smear.
### ELI5 Bottom Line
Think of it like a kid letting friends copy homework and sneak ideas into the class project — but it's grown-ups, secret government stuff, and a country (Iran) that the U.S. doesn't trust. Malley was the teacher who really liked those friends and gave them good seats in class. When the principal found out about the secret notes and bad homework copying, the teacher got in big trouble and had to sit out.
It's still being investigated, and people argue about how serious it really was. No one has been charged in court as far as public info shows.
> Iranian Spies Have Infiltrated the American Government, Lawmakers Warn
Inside Tehran’s Soft War
How Iran Gained Influence In US Policy Centers
By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin
● Three aides of Robert Malley, Biden's special envoy for Iran, were part of an Iranian government network
● The Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) was established by the Iranian foreign ministry in 2014 to extend Tehran's soft power
● The IEI members simultaneously worked for top Western think tanks and gave advice to US and Europe
● The joint reporting project with Semafor is based on thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats
Three Iran experts who have worked closely with Robert Malley, the Biden administration’s special envoy on Iran, were members of an influence network formed and guided by Tehran, an investigation by Iran International shows.
The investigation was based on thousands of emails between Iranian diplomats and analysts obtained by Iran International, which shared them with Semafor. The two organizations jointly reported parts of this story together, and wrote and published their stories independently.
Malley has spent the past decade in and out of government, at times occupying crucial diplomatic posts. In between those stints, he has held a perch at the International Crisis Group, a major think tank. Of the three Iran experts, one of them worked for him at the State Department, one worked for him at the ICG and was an unofficial adviser when Malley was in government, and one worked for him only at the ICG.
Malley was put on leave in June, following the suspension of his security clearance amid an ongoing investigation. The exact cause of his suspension remains unclear.
This investigation offers new insights into internal operations of Iran's foreign ministry, especially during 2015 nuclear negotiations with world powers, and highlights the extent of Tehran’s campaign to gain influence in Washington and other Western capitals.
Documents reviewed by Iran International show the Iranian foreign ministry in 2014 initiated a network of overseas academics and researchers - called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) - to increase its influence on the global stage.
This is the first time the role of the IEI - which is also referred to as "the youth network" by Iranian diplomats - has been revealed.
President Bident named Malley to be his special envoy for Iran in 2021. Malley had previously served as a top diplomat in the President Obama administration. He helped to negotiate a 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. The accord, which aimed to curb Iran's nuclear activities, was abandoned by President Trump, who branded it as the worst deal ever and reinstated crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
In February 2021, less than a month after his appointment as the Iran special envoy, Malley recruited Ariane Tabatabai, then the Middle East fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, for his State Department team to assist in negotiations with Iran. She served in that position for almost 15 months.
Malley also sought to appoint Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the Crisis Group, to the government, but Vaez encountered an obstacle. According to two sources familiar with the situation and a former colleague - all of whom requested anonymity - Vaez could not obtain the necessary security clearance, leading to the cancellation of his expected appointment.
Despite this, Malley was undeterred, maintaining Vaez as a confidant. Until recently, according to two people familiar with the situation, Vaez drafted Malley’s tweets.
https://content.iranintl.com/en/investigates/inside-tehran-softwar/index.html?s=09
>Inside Tehran’s Soft War
Although Malley viewed Tabatabai and Vaez as his trusted advisers, the investigation shows that the two analysts had undisclosed affiliations with the IEI.
Another Iran analyst, Dina Esfandiary, who was hired by Malley at the ICG in early 2021, was also a part of the IEI, according to the documents.
US State Department spokesman Matt Miller told Iran International that the Biden administration appointed Ariane Tabatabai to serve various roles in the United States government “because of her expertise on nuclear and other foreign policy issues”, and they were “honored to have her serve.”
Miller also said that they will not comment on “purported leaked Iranian government documents.”
Vaez’s and Esfandiary’s current employer, the ICG, said the Iranian government did not direct the research of their staff.
Malley did not respond to the request for comment. Another State Department spokesperson said “Rob Malley remains on leave. We have nothing further to share at this time due to privacy considerations.”
The emails, spanning from 2003 to 2021, were part of a trove of thousands belonging to Mostafa Zahrani, former director general of strategic affairs in the foreign ministry and advisor to former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The emails included passport copies, resumes, invitations to conferences, airplane tickets, visa applications, payment receipts, academic articles, and extensive correspondence with foreign ministry officials, university staff, and students, all of which helped in verifying their authenticity
>https://content.iranintl.com/en/investigates/inside-tehran-softwar/index.html?s=09
long article…moar at link
Formation of Network
The formation of the Iran Experts Initiative was first proposed in 2014 by a Berlin-based Iranian diplomat, Saeed Khatibzadeh, a member of the in-house think tank of Iran’s foreign ministry - the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS).
He suggested to his superiors that by forming a network of Iranian analysts in “American and European think tanks”, and offering them “political support”, the Islamic Republic could promote its standpoint in the world.
The election of President Hassan Rouhani in 2013 and his détente policy with the West had created momentum to resolve the nuclear issue, and the initiative could help Tehran counter its image as a “pariah state”.
Khatibzadeh wrote in an email on March 5, 2014 to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, one of the leading Iranian nuclear negotiators, and Mostafa Zahrani, the head of the IPIS in Tehran: “This initiative which we call ‘Iran Experts Initiative (IEI)’ is consisted of a core group of 6-10 distinguished second-generation Iranians who have established affiliation with the leading international think-tanks and academic institutions, mainly in Europe and the US.”
Zahrani - a Revolutionary Guards member and a veteran diplomat - was instrumental in supporting the network and securing its funding, while acting as the main point of contact between the IEI members and Zarif.
Zahrani’s communications with almost a dozen Iranian analysts in Western think tanks between 2014 and 2021 showed how some of the analysts looked to Tehran for counsel. Tabatabai, for instance, sought Tehran’s advice on matters like visiting Israel or participating in conferences, while Vaez sent an article to the Iranian authorities for a pre-publication review.
Iranian foreign ministry, the IPIS, Zarif, Zahrani and Khatibzadeh did not respond to requests for comment.
The IPIS, which operates directly under the supervision of the Iranian foreign ministry, hosted a two-day conference in 2006 titled 'Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision' in Tehran. The conference drew criticism as it provided a platform for numerous Holocaust deniers and skeptics from around the world. Around 40 European and American research institutes severed ties with the IPIS because it hosted the conference.
Core Members
In an attachment to an email, Khatibzadeh first proposed a list of 21 Iranian analysts living abroad who he thought should join the IEI. Subsequent exchanges show the number of vetted individuals or those willing to cooperate was reduced to around 10.
Among the IEI top members was Ariane Tabatabai, currently chief of staff for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations at US Department of Defense, and an official advisor to Robert Malley between 2021-2022, the documents show. She attended the nuclear negotiations in Vienna alongside Malley in 2021, according to a photo published by the Russian delegation.
In another email sent on March 11, 2014, Khatibzadeh told Zahrani: “This very idea of Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) was discussed between me and two of the young experts, we (you and me) met in the prague (sic) conference, i.e. Ariane Tabatabei (sic) and Dina Esfandiari (sic). We three agreed to be the core group of the IEI.”
>,handoff.
>long article…moar at link
Ariane Tabatabai is currently working in U.S. national security and foreign policy circles, though her exact government role appears to have changed recently.
Here’s the latest publicly reported information:
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She served in the Biden administration at both the State Department and Pentagon, including work on Iran policy and later senior Defense Department roles. ([Wikipedia][1])
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In 2024, reports said she had been promoted to deputy assistant secretary of defense for force education and training at the Pentagon. ([Israel & Jewish News - JNS][2])
*More recent 2026 reporting describes her as a “public service fellow” at Lawfareand says she previously served in the State and Defense Departments during the Biden administration. ([KNKX Public Radio][3])
So, based on current public reporting, she appears no longer to be serving in the same Pentagon policymaking role she held during the Biden administration and is now active mainly as a national security analyst/fellow associated with Lawfare and media commentary on Iran and Middle East security. ([KNKX Public Radio][3])
She remains controversial because of:
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leaked emails tying her to the “Iran Experts Initiative,” an alleged Iranian influence network,
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Republican calls to suspend or revoke her security clearance,
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and speculation around intelligence leaks related to Israel and Iran. ([Wikipedia][1])
However, the Pentagon previously stated she was “thoroughly and properly vetted,” and she retained her security clearance after review. ([Wikipedia][1])
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariane_Tabatabai?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ariane Tabatabai"
[2]: https://www.jns.org/us-defense-department-promotes-official-tied-to-israel-strike-leak/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "US Defense Department promotes official tied to Israel strike leak - JNS.org"
[3]: https://www.knkx.org/2026-02-28/political-science-expert-weighs-in-on-irans-nuclear-program-in-light-of-u-s-strikes?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Political science expert weighs in on Iran's nuclear program in light of U.S. strikes | KNKX Public Radio"
## Lawfare
Lawfare is a U.S.-based nonprofit multimedia publication and think tank focused on the intersection of law and national security. It provides nonpartisan, expert analysis of issues such as counterterrorism, cybersecurity, executive power, and the rule of law, aiming to make complex policy and legal debates accessible to policymakers and the public alike.
### Key facts
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Founded: 2010
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Founders: Benjamin Wittes, Jack Goldsmith, Robert Chesney
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Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
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Parent organization: The Lawfare Institute (501(c)(3) nonprofit)
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Website: lawfaremedia.org
### Mission and focus
Lawfare describes its mission as addressing “hard national security choices.” It publishes daily articles, podcasts, and primary-source documents that analyze how law shapes U.S. national security decisions. Topics include foreign policy, intelligence oversight, domestic extremism, and emerging technology regulation. The organization emphasizes factual, rigorous, and readable discussion rather than advocacy, positioning itself as a bridge between academic scholarship and current affairs journalism.
### Structure and founders
>More recent 2026 reporting describes her as a “public service fellow” at Lawfarea
The Lawfare Institute, a Washington-based 501(c)(3), publishes the Lawfare website and affiliated media. Founders Benjamin Wittes (editor in chief), Jack Goldsmith, and Robert Chesney—respected figures in law and policy—created the platform while affiliated with the Brookings Institution and major law schools. The institute operates independently but maintains scholarly and institutional partnerships, including with Brookings.
### Media and projects
Lawfare’s offerings include The Lawfare Podcast, Rational Security, Chatter, and Lawfare No Bull, produced in partnership with Goat Rodeo. It has run major coverage series such as the January 6 Project, which documents the legal and governmental response to the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack. Its blend of news analysis and curated primary documents has made it a key reference point for journalists, academics, and legal professionals.
### Impact
Since its founding, Lawfare has become a leading forum for legal commentary on U.S. and international security. It is cited in judicial opinions, academic research, and media coverage, contributing to debates over surveillance, presidential authority, and democratic resilience in an era of global and technological change.
SophieZX
@Z_XSophie
Remember how they lost their shit when Elon did this?
Now it’s suddenly “my heart goes out to you” and everyone’s totally fine 😂
The rules change depending on who’s waving.
Classic selective outrage.
Quote
Dr. Eli David
@DrEliDavid
·
May 10
Remember how they lost their sh*t when @elonmusk did this?
2:43 AM · May 11, 2026
·
9.7M
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