Iran Currently Not Making A Bomb, Says US

Senator Scott of Florida told Iran International’s Arash Alaei, "I was just in the Middle East, and all I heard about was the menace of Iran."

"While in Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE, all of them were concerned about Iran's actions. I was there when Israel had to eliminate terrorists in Jenin... and when Iranian ships attempted to halt two tankers, but the US Navy intervened. Iran is a threat to the world," he added.

He also criticized the performance of US envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, stating that the last thing the US wants is another nuclear deal with the regime.

Reacting to the controversy surrounding Malley's secret leave of absence and the FBI's investigation into his mishandling of classified information, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) stated that it reflects the entire administration's policy toward Iran, which he believes makes no sense and is nothing short of disastrous.

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Malley’s suspension was first reported by Iran International June 29, and formally announced the following day by Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, calling it "a leave of absence”, adding that his duties would be temporarily assumed by his deputy, Abram Paley. However, it is believed he had been suspended as early as April.

Senator Hawley described the administration's policy on Iran as a "disaster" from day one and said, "The more we know, the worse it gets."

He expressed outrage at the administration's lack of transparency regarding Malley and his efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord. Referring to an article by Tehran Times, a publication controlled by the Iranian regime that provided astonishing details about Malley's situation, Senator Hawley criticized the government for not being forthcoming. He said, "You have a totalitarian regime publishing all this information and knowing it, yet your own government won't be honest with us about it." He further stated, "It's ridiculous."

"I feel like I've been lied to... They (the administration) lie to us all the time on various issues, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, China... It's a pattern in this administration."

Republican and sone Democrats have been opposed to President Joe Biden's policy of negotiating with the Islamic Republic to revive the 2015 JCPOA agreement that former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. The talks came to a deadlock in September 2022, after 18 months of multilateral diplomacy.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also criticized Malley for his handling of Iran-related issues, stating, "I don't know the specific details, but I have always believed he was a terrible negotiator... I have never been a fan of his negotiations or their outcomes."

CBS News also confirmed Monday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating Robert Malley, although the matter is not considered criminal.

According to the Tehran Times, Malley was informed by the Diplomatic Security Department on April 21 that his security clearance had been suspended due to his failure to maintain classified documents accurately.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh accused the Iranian employees of the Starlink of "not having a goal" and unable recognize “friends and foes" adding that these people "serve the enemy".

NASA or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. Currently it is pursuing various projects, the most important of which is "Artemis" that seeks to return humans to the moon.

Starlink is a satellite system operated by SpaceX to provide satellite internet services and is managed by Elon Musk, an American entrepreneur and billionaire.

In his statements, the IRGC Aerospace Commander did not provide information about the number of Iranians working for NASA or Starlink, but it seems that his criticism is in response to the possible lack of specialist personnel in the IRGC and the large-scale migration of elites from Iran.

In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has launched extensive security and judicial actions against the country's elites and academics who prefer to emigrate amid dire economic situation.

"We call upon Iran to cease its military support to Russia, in particular its transfer of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which have been used to attack critical infrastructure, causing widespread civilian casualties," the 31-member alliance said in a final declaration at a summit in Lithuania.

"We express our serious concern over Iran’s malicious activities within Allied territory."

The United States and Britain have accused Iran of numerous terror plots on their soil. Last November, Iran International TV moved its broadcast operation to Washington DC after the British police found credible information that Iranian agents were plotting to harm its journalists.

Iran has also supplied hundreds of kamikaze drones to Russia since mid-2022 that have been used against civilian and military targets since early October last year. NATO countries had to beef up Ukraine’s air defenses partly because of the Iranian Shahed drones that are cheap and used in swarms by Russia to overwhelm air defenses.

The latest such attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, July 11, when Russia launched 29 attack drones mostly against the capital Kyiv. Ukraine’s military said it shot down all the drones, but this results in precious anti air missiles to be used, which are needed against missiles and for military operations.

CBS News has also confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating Robert Malley, but the issue is not deemed a criminal matter.

However, a detailed report in Tehran Times about Malley's suspension and investigation has raised questions among former American officials and Iran watchers.

As presidential envoy for Iran, Malley was based at the State Department, his portfolio including both the attempts to resurrect a nuclear agreement with Iran (under the JCPOA), as well as negotiations over at least three American citizens who remain wrongfully detained by Tehran.

His suspension was first reported by Iran International June 29 and formally announced the following day by Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, calling it "a leave of absence”, adding that his duties would be temporarily assumed by his deputy, Abram Paley. However, it is believed he had been suspended as early as April.

According to the Tehran Times, a pro-regime publication, the exact date of Malley's suspension was April 21, when Malley was informed by the Diplomatic Security Department that due to his not having maintained classified documents, his security clearance was suspended.

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The regime publication wrote: “His work-related accesses were cut off at this time. However, to prevent the matter from becoming public, some of his limited and non-critical accesses were maintained, such as his communication with the families of American prisoners in Iran.”

How a pro-regime outlet had such details, of which even Congress had not be informed, is raising serious questions. Frustrated by the lack of information sharing with the congressional committees overseeing the State Department, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Mike McCaul, Republican of Texas, sent a letter setting a July 11 deadline for the department to provide an update.

His letter claimed Congress had been misled about the reason for Malley's absence, which had been attributed to a family health matter. State Department spokesman Miller said in response: “We obviously got the letter from the Chairman; we've been reviewing it and we will be engaging with his office on the matter.”

The Tehran Times went into further detail, claiming that during the first few weeks of Malley’s unpaid leave, when Iran and the US held confidential negotiations in Oman, the US sent Brett McGurk, a member of the National Security Council who is close to Jake Sullivan. “The noteworthy point is that the Americans are trying to present the replacement of McGurk as a positive change and an effort to advance negotiations with Iran, hiding the Malley affair,” they wrote.

Ex-Iran envoy Gabriel Noronha pointed to the article as a worrying sign that sources in Tehran know more about the scandalous affair than Congress itself. Like many other Iran watchers, he highlights the closeness Malley has with key members of the regime. “His family's ties to notorious Iranian propagandists like Trita Parsi should be disqualifying in themselves,” he wrote.

Malley’s suspension has been of grave concern to the Biden administration, risking a controversy at a time which is critical to nuclear negotiations as Iran's uranium enrichment proceeds unhindered.

Alireza Nader from the National Union for Democracy in Iran said the matter risks becoming “a huge national scandal”, the Iran lobby possibly jeopardizing talks moving forward.

The Tehran Times article suggests the future of Malley’s career is bleak, revealing the depth of his connections to the regime: “Malley’s overly close proximity to his non-official Iranian assistants and advisers created the ground for the fall of this experienced diplomat.”

Nasser Kanaani said Monday that the move by western countries is an example of “politicizing human rights and instrumentalizing UN human rights mechanisms.”

He said: “Those governments that provoked the unrest in Iran have formed this illegal committee, and are themselves now facing the similar situation, repressing the demonstrators inside their countries. These states are launching such mechanisms but we do not accept double standards."

While during the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic, more than 500 people were killed by the security forces, the Iranian regime has not yet filed a case to follow up on the massacre.

So far, several protesters have been executed on accusations of being involved in the killing of several government officials after trials that were condemned by the international community.

The fact-finding mission mandated by the UN urged Iran on Wednesday to stop executing people sentenced to death for anti-government protests that rocked the country last year.

"We call on the Iranian authorities to stop the executions of individuals convicted and sentenced to death in connection with the protests and reiterate our requests to make available to us the judicial files, evidence, and judgments regarding each of these persons," Sara Hossain, chair of the Iran Fact-Finding Mission, told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The mission also called for the "release of all those detained for exercising their legitimate right to peaceful assembly and for reporting on the protests".