Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused a former Department of Defense chief of staff and three of his advisers of knowingly helping Iran while working at the top level of the American government.
During an interview with FOX, Mr. Cruz said that Robert Malley, currently special envoy for Iran and a negotiator for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, is not objective in dealing with Iran. He added that what happened with him in the current administration was “one of the greatest national security scandals” in America’s history.
“Rob Malley was Joe Biden’s chief negotiator for Iran. He is an advocate, a passionate advocate for the disastrous Obama-Iran nuclear deal,” Mr. Cruz said.
“But he also has extraordinarily bad judgment. He’s been fired. He’s had his security clearances stripped, which I want you to pause and think, just how bad does his conduct have to be to have his security clearances pulled by this ideological and radical White House? ”
NTD reached out to Mr. Malley for a comment.
Sen. Cruz, citing email correspondence from the State Department as the source, added that three of his advisers were Iran operatives, having access to classified information in the American government.
“But we now know also that, among other things, three of Rob Malley’s top advisers, his inner circle that he relied on, were Iranian operatives. They were recruited by the government of Iran. They were directed by the Iranian foreign minister. They reported to the Iranian foreign minister. ”
On Oct. 10, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) requested the State Department provide information on Mr. Malley over concerns about his suitability, Townhall reported.
“We have their emails now in which they discuss. One of them discusses with the foreign minister that his loyalties are with the government of Iran, and he is there to do whatever they direct, including making the message from within the federal government that there’s nothing wrong with Iran having a nuclear stockpile,” Mr. Cruz said.
Iran’s Involvement
According to the Pentagon, there have been at least 12 attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria by Iran-backed forces since Oct. 17. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah are all backed by Tehran.
Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said 21 U.S. personnel were injured in two of the assaults by militia groups that used drones to target al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and al-Tanf Garrison in Syria.
On Friday, the United States performed airstrikes at two locations connected to Iran-backed militia in Syria.
“The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” the Pentagon chief said in a statement.
The U.S. military’s strikes are “separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted in his statement.
On Oct. 26, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the subject of “Moving the Money: Understanding the Iranian Regime’s Access to Money Around the World and How They Use It to Support Terrorism.”
At the hearing, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) questioned why the Biden administration has not rescinded the $6 billion it freed up for Iran.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a warning to staff that Iranian-backed terrorists of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad may try to cross the U.S. southern border with Mexico in an attempt to enter the country illegally, according to leaked government documents.
“Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico,” an intelligence notice by the agency’s San Diego Field Office’s Intelligence Division said.
Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
