- Nineteen prisoners use cutlery to break out of cells at Winchester prison
- France wants progress in Ukraine before Russia returns to G7
- Italy president begins talks to seek way out of government crisis
- Italian PM expected to resign as political chaos deepens
- Russia says US cruise missile test ‘regrettable’
- Kremlin - No date set for Normandy talks on Ukraine despite Macron meeting
- Egypt court hands out 6 death sentences on terror charges
- Putin says Russian nuclear explosion poses no threat
- Russian panel eyes alleged foreign interference in protests
- Gran Canaria wildfire triggers evacuation of thousands of people
- PM Johnson calls on Germany and France to compromise on Brexit
- Sudan's ex-president Bashir arrives at corruption trial
Friday, 29 January 2021 _US President Joe Biden is expected to name Robert Malley, who served as a top Iran adviser in the administration of former President Barack Obama, as his special envoy on Iran, according to two sources.
Malley’s appointment could be announced as soon as Friday, one of the sources told Reuters on Thursday.
While some Republican lawmakers and pro-Israel groups expressed concern that he would be soft on Iran and tough on Israel, several foreign policy veterans supported his appointment.
Observers believe concerns about his appointment are part of a broader effort against diplomacy with Iran and reversing former Republican President Donald Trump's aggressive approach towards Iran.
Malley was a key member of Obama’s team that negotiated the Iran nuclear deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – an agreement which Trump abandoned in 2018.
The deal was initially signed between Iran and six major world states — the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — in 2015 and was ratified in the form of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 shortly afterwards.
Trump withdrew the US from the accord and reinstated the anti-Iran sanctions that had been lifted by the deal.
His administration also launched what it called a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, targeting the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” restrictive measures.
If confirmed, Malley will be put at the forefront of Biden’s efforts to find a way to deal with Iran after years of deteriorating relations under Trump.
He held numerous senior positions in the Democratic administrations of Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
He informally advised Biden’s team during his presidential campaign and served as the president of the International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization that deals with global conflict.
Additionally, Malley was an informal adviser to Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008 but resigned after it was revealed that he had met with representatives of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, while working for the organization.
Your Comment