The US State Department on Monday said it was working to respond to a senior Republican congressman who requested more information on why the US special envoy for Iran has been placed on leave.
Michael McCaul, who heads the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken after Robert Malley was placed on leave last month over what the Iran envoy said was a review of his security clearance.
Mr McCaul gave the State Department until July 11 to provide a “full and transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding Special Envoy Malley’s clearance suspension”.
The suspension of a top US interlocutor comes at a crucial time, with Tehran edging ever closer to producing weapons-grade uranium.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday that officials were working with Mr McCaul's office.
“We take our oversight obligations extremely seriously,” Mr Miller said. “We obviously got the letter from the chairman. We've been reviewing it and we will be engaging with his office on the matter.”
News outlet Semafor reported on Friday that the FBI had opened a probe into Mr Malley's handling of classified information.
The FBI declined to comment.
Mr Malley's leave of absence came as indirect discussions between Washington and Tehran picked up in recent months.
In May, US officials travelled to Oman, where they held indirect talks with Iranian authorities, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman.
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More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
