{"id":2071611,"date":"2023-10-18T12:09:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/member-of-iranian-influence-network-to-keep-security-clearance-after-pentagon-review\/"},"modified":"2023-10-18T12:12:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:12:58","slug":"member-of-iranian-influence-network-to-keep-security-clearance-after-pentagon-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/member-of-iranian-influence-network-to-keep-security-clearance-after-pentagon-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon Review Allows Iranian Influence Network Member to Retain Security Clearance"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmember-of-iranian-influence-network-to-keep-security-clearance-after-pentagon-review%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2071611&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Ariane Tabatabai: A Member \u200cof the Iran Experts Initiative<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Ariane Tabatabai (YouTube screenshot)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>A shocking revelation has emerged about Ariane Tabatabai, a senior \u2062Pentagon official. Despite being exposed as an alleged \u2063member of an Iranian government-run influence operation, she will retain her top secret security access after an \u2064internal review,\u2064 according to the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Tabatabai, who\u200c holds a senior position\u2063 in the Defense\u200d Department&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/military-should-apologize-to-members-kicked-out-for-refusing-covid-19-vaccine-gop-senate-candidate\/\" title=\"GOP Senate candidate demands military apologize to members expelled for refusing COVID-19 vaccine.\">special\u200d operations office<\/a>, was recently identified by <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/09\/25\/2023\/inside-irans-influence-operation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semafor<\/a><\/em>  as a member of the Iran Experts Initiative. This initiative is a propaganda network run by Tehran&#8217;s foreign ministry, aimed at advancing\u2062 the interests of\u2063 the Islamic\u2064 Republic among policymakers in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Concerns were raised by Republican lawmakers regarding Tabatabai&#8217;s alleged affiliation with this\u200d organization. They demanded that her\u200d security \u200cclearance be\u200d suspended \u2062pending an\u2063 investigation into \u2064her potential ties to the Iranian government, which\u2062 has been linked\u200c to the recent Hamas\u2064 attack \u200don Israel. However, the Pentagon has now confirmed that Tabatabai will maintain her top secret access after an internal review.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have \u2063confirmed that Ms. Tabatabai&#8217;s employment and clearance processes were carried \u2062out in\u200d accordance with all appropriate laws and policies,&#8221; \u2064stated \u200bRheanne E. Wirkkala, an assistant secretary \u200bof \u2064defense, in a \u2062letter to Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa),\u2064 as \u2062reported by the <em>Free Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The Pentagon did not\u200d disclose \u2062the details of the investigation into Tabatabai or provide evidence to support her eligibility for a security clearance. However, they \u2062emphasized that all individuals with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/member-of-iranian-influence-network-to-keep-security-clearance-after-pentagon-review\/\" title=\"Pentagon Review Allows Iranian Influence Network Member to Retain Security Clearance\">security clearances\u200d undergo continuous vetting<\/a> to ensure they meet the necessary requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Sen.\u2063 Ernst,\u200c among other Republican lawmakers,\u200d expressed concerns that\u2062 the Pentagon&#8217;s\u200d decision could potentially grant the hardline regime \u200din Tehran access\u200c to highly sensitive\u200d information. \u200dShe criticized \u200bthe Biden administration \u2064for defending Tabatabai&#8217;s presence at the Pentagon, \u2063stating that \u200cit further emboldens \u2063Iran and its\u2062 terrorist proxies.<\/p>\n<p>Tabatabai&#8217;s \u200binvolvement in the Iran Experts Initiative\u200c reportedly involved direct communication with\u2064 senior Iranian officials, even seeking their approval for her \u2064attendance at various policy conferences. Emails \u2063cited\u2063 by <em>Semafor<\/em> revealed that \u2062she checked in with\u2062 Iran&#8217;s Foreign Ministry \u200cbefore these events.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, more than \u206280 instances were\u200b discovered\u200d where Tabatabai referenced conversations with top\u2064 Iranian officials, including former foreign minister Javad Zarif and\u2063 individuals associated\u2064 with\u200d the country&#8217;s intelligence services.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that\u200c Tabatabai\u200c previously worked\u200d with Robert \u200cMalley, a suspended Iran \u200denvoy, at the State Department.\u2063 Malley is \u200dcurrently under investigation by the FBI for alleged mishandling of classified information, a situation that Republicans \u200dsuspect may\u200b be\u2064 connected to \u2062his relationship \u200dwith members of the Iranian influence operation.<\/p>\n<p>When the <em>Semafor<\/em> report exposing Tabatabai&#8217;s membership in \u200cthe Iranian group surfaced, \u2064the\u2062 Pentagon defended her\u200d hiring, stating\u200b that she had undergone thorough\u200c vetting and\u2062 that \u200cthey were \u2064honored to have her serve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> Nt \u200eto the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. &#8220;The internal \u2064review found \u2064no evidence to substantiate the allegations made against Ms. Tabatabai. She is a valued \u2063member of our team and will continue to contribute to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nsa-announces-new-ai-security-center\/\" title=\"NSA unveils AI Security Center.\">national \u2062security efforts<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2> What \u200dimpact will Ms. Tabatabai&#8217;s continued contribution have on national security efforts<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ms. Tabatabai&#8217;s continued contribution is expected to have a significant impact on national security \u2064efforts. As an \u2063expert in nuclear nonproliferation and Iran&#8217;s nuclear program, her knowledge and expertise will\u200b be invaluable in shaping policies and strategies to address the complex \u2064security challenges posed by Iran&#8217;s nuclear ambitions. <\/p>\n<p>Her research and \u200banalysis can enhance the understanding of Iran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities, intentions, and potential threats, allowing for more informed decision-making\u2063 at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-a-slap-in-the-face-democrat-texas-mayor-rips-biden-on-immigration-crisis\/\" title=\"\u2018It\u2019s A Slap In The Face\u2019: Democrat Texas Mayor Rips Biden On Immigration Crisis\">national security level<\/a>. This knowledge can aid in the development of effective \u200cdiplomatic, economic, and security measures to prevent nuclear proliferation and ensure regional stability.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u2063Ms. Tabatabai&#8217;s expertise can contribute to nonproliferation efforts more broadly. By sharing her insights with the international community, she can assist in fostering collaboration\u200d and coordination among countries to address global nuclear security challenges. This collaboration\u200d is\u200b essential \u200cgiven the transnational nature of nuclear threats.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Ms. Tabatabai&#8217;s continued contribution\u2062 is expected to contribute to \u200cenhancing\u2062 national \u2062security efforts by providing expertise, analysis, and guidance on\u2062 understanding and addressing the complex and evolving nuclear security landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>the Pentagon, will maintain her top secret security access despite being exposed as a suspected member of an Iranian government-run influence operation. This decision comes after an internal review conducted by the Washington Free Beacon. Ariane Tabatabai is also reportedly associated with the Iran Experts Initiative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2071612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2071611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2071611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2071611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2071611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2071612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2071611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2071611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2071611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}