File photo of Robert Malley, U.S. special envoy to Iran.
U.S. Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley recently spoke with Chinese Communist Party officials about the Biden administration’s re-entry into the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, according to an official Communist Party statement. The State Department, however, declined to confirm the matter and provide any details of the conversation. U.S. lawmakers have called the State Department’s move worrisome.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced late last week that Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu “had a telephone conversation with U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley at the latter’s request, and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the Iranian nuclear issue.”
When asked to confirm the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s press release and provide further details about Malley’s conversation, the State Department ignored multiple emails sent by the Washington Free Beacon until last Sunday (Feb. 14), saying. “Special Envoy Robert Malley is in the early stages of reaching out to members of Congress, allies, partners and others.”
When pressed on the specifics of Malley’s talks with the Communist Party, the State Department would not provide any details.
The Biden Administration‘s public statements appear inconsistent with actual actions
“The Washington Free Beacon believes that the State Department’s reluctance to disclose the content of Malley’s conversations with the Chinese is not a normal move by the U.S. government. Under normal circumstances, the State Department would provide reporters with a readout of talks held by senior U.S. diplomats with their Chinese counterparts, especially if those talks were held at the request of the U.S. side, the paper said.
Marley’s diplomatic dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party comes as the Biden administration is pressuring Iran to end its nuclear program, which includes stockpiling highly enriched uranium, the main fuel for nuclear weapons. China remains a party to the 2015 agreement, a key ally of the Iranian regime, and supports lifting the U.N. arms ban on Tehran, which would allow countries such as the Communist Party and Russia to sell large quantities of advanced weapons to Iran.
“According to the Washington Free Beacon, Marley’s friendly gesture toward the Chinese Communist Party appears inconsistent with the foreign policy that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has repeatedly committed to with regard to Iran. Blinken has repeatedly pledged that the United States will not engage in diplomatic efforts with Tehran until Iran withdraws its nuclear program and proves it is in compliance with the restrictions set forth in the nuclear deal.
The State Department’s silence now on Malley’s dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party on Iran may indicate an inconsistency between the Biden administration’s public statements on the Iran deal and its private diplomacy on the issue, the report said.
Republican Lawmaker: State Department’s Silence Is a Disturbing Sign
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Washington Free Beacon that the State Department’s silence is a troubling sign.
“While I understand that foreign affairs sometimes happen behind closed doors, it is troubling that the State Department refuses to confirm or deny that this call happened when the Chinese Communist Party has announced that it did.” McCaul said, “Hopefully it was just an introductory call, but if that’s the case, I don’t understand why the State Department won’t acknowledge that there was a call and keep the American people from knowing what the conversation was about.”
McCaul also confirmed that he spoke with Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but not with Iranian envoy Malley. This is inconsistent with a statement sent to the Washington Free Beacon by the State Department.
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) echoed McCaul’s sentiments. He tweeted on Tuesday (Feb. 16), “Transparency is always essential, especially when it comes to dialogue with the CCP. Yes, sometimes diplomacy is conducted behind closed doors, but it is concerning that the State Department will neither confirm nor deny that the call took place nor reveal details of the discussion.”
Iranian officials said over the weekend that the country is prepared to further block access to international nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran took the step as part of a pressure campaign to force the West to lift sanctions. the IAEA inspectors recently found that Iran was producing uranium metal in violation of the deal. In addition, Iran plans to increase its uranium enrichment and install advanced centrifuges, machines that can enrich uranium to levels needed for weapons. Iran also plans to suspend implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by the end of this month.
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