Biden names Robert Malley as special US envoy for Iran

President Joe Biden has named Robert Malley as special US envoy for Iran, Report informs, referring to Reuters.

Malley was a key member of former President Barack Obama’s team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and world powers, an agreement that former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 despite strong opposition from Washington’s European allies.

Malley held numerous senior positions in the Democratic administrations of Obama and former President Bill Clinton, focusing on the Middle East and Gulf policymaking, and informally advised Biden’s team during the 2020 campaign.

The nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was struck by Iran and six major powers and committed Iran to restrict its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief from the US and others. Israel and Gulf Arab states strongly opposed the deal as not stringent enough on Tehran.