Rob Malley will serve as the Biden administration's special envoy for Iran, working out of the State Department, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Friday.
Why it matters: Malley, a former Middle East adviser to Barack Obama, took part in the negotiations over the Iran nuclear deal and is a strong supporter of a U.S. return to the agreement. Reports of his likely selection led to sharp criticism from opponents of the deal like Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), while former colleagues from the Obama administration rallied to Malley's defense.
- Malley, a longtime Middle East expert, is currently president and CEO of the International Crisis Group think tank.
- He'll serve as the top U.S. negotiator as Biden begins the delicate process of attempting to salvage the existing nuclear deal — which would mean lifting sanctions if Iran unwinds its recent nuclear acceleration — while trying to negotiate a broader and longer-lasting agreement.
What they're saying: Psaki said at Friday's press briefing that Iran needs to take the first step and return to full compliance with its nuclear deal commitments.
- Iranian officials say just the opposite — they'll return to compliance once the U.S. lifts sanctions.
- Officials from Israel and Gulf countries, which oppose the nuclear deal, have told Axios in recent days that they're concerned about Malley's appointment because they consider him a dove on Iran.
- French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday in a briefing with reporters that any future talks on a deal with Iran must include Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in order to avoid the mistakes of 2015, when those countries were not consulted.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken has already given assurances that the Gulf countries and Israel will be consulted.
Flashback: Malley told Axios earlier this month that a lasting deal with Iran would be more achievable by first returning to the previous agreement, and that it could be easier to reach a preliminary agreement before Iran's presidential elections in June.
- But he cautioned that the process would be difficult, and he said the direction of travel in Iran would ultimately be set by the supreme leader.
- “Some steps that Iran could take could backfire," Malley added. "I think there comes a point at which more pressure might mean that the Biden administration will change course as well."
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