"Biden's Iran Envoy Placed on Leave Amid Security Clearance Investigation"

Robert Malley, the U.S. special representative for Iran, has been placed on unpaid leave by the State Department amid a review of his security clearance. Malley, a longtime Middle East diplomat and advocate of dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, played a key role in negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration. The Biden administration has been seeking to revive the deal, but talks have made little progress. Malley's leave comes as some foreign officials noted his diminishing role in U.S. policy toward Iran, with Brett McGurk, the White House's top Middle East official, taking a more prominent position. The State Department has not provided further details on the security clearance review.