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Edited by: Fern Sidman
New revelations based on internal emails suggest that a Pentagon staff member may have been involved with the Iran Experts Initiative, a secret influence operation carried out by Iranian Foreign Ministry officials to bolster Iran’s position on global security matters, particularly related to the nuclear program, as was reported by the American Military News web site.
The Iran Experts Initiative, which is believed to have operated since 2014, aimed to establish a network of influential researchers and academics in the United States and Europe, according to e-mails obtained by Emails obtained by Semafor and Iran International. It reportedly provided Iranian diplomats, especially during the Obama administration, with access to influential policy circles, according to the American Military News web site.
One of the key findings is the involvement of Ariane Tabatabai, an academic form Prague,who serves as the Pentagon’s current chief of staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, a role that necessitates a U.S. security clearance, American Military News reported. Tabatabai previously worked on the Iran nuclear negotiation team under the Biden administration.
The obtained emails from the Iran Experts Initiative reveal several instances where Tabatabai interacted with the initiative and sought guidance from its members.
In one email exchange, Tabatabai discussed her interactions with Saudi Prince Turki al Faisal, a former U.S. ambassador, and inquired about whether she should accept his invitation to Saudi Arabia, as was indicated in the American Military News report.
It’s noteworthy that Tabatabai reached out to Mostafa Zahrani, the head of the Institute for Political and International Studies think tank in Iran, in June of 2014, for his insights on these matters. American Military News also reported that she also inquired with Zahrani about attending a workshop at Ben-Gurion University in Israel related to Iran’s nuclear program, expressing concerns about the accuracy of information being disseminated.
“I am not interested in going, but then I thought maybe it would be better that I go and talk rather than an Israeli like Emily Landau who goes and disseminates disinformation,” she said, as was reported by American Military News. “I would like to ask your opinion, too, and see if you think I should accept the invitation and go, ” she added.
An email reply from Zahrani stated, “All things considered, it seems Saudi Arabia is a good case, but the second case [Israel] is better to be avoided. Thanks.” The American Military News report also said that in response to Zahrani’s email message, Tabatabai indicated that she would “take action” with regard to Saudi Arabia and would keep Zahrani “updated on the progress.”
Tabatabai was also found discussing her upcoming Congressional testimony concerning the Iran Nuclear Deal. The American Military News article stated that in an email from July 2014, she mentioned that she would be testifying before congressional committees alongside Harvard academics William Tobey and Gary Samore, who were known for their unfavorable views on Iran.
“I will bother you in the coming days,” she wrote, according to the American Military News web site. “It will be a little difficult since both Will and Gary do not have favorable views on Iran.”
While neither the Pentagon nor the State Department commented on the specific content of the Iran Experts Initiative email correspondence, the Pentagon affirmed its support for Tabatabai, the report noted. They stated that she underwent a thorough and proper vetting process as a condition of her employment and expressed their honor in having her serve in her current role.
In a recent development that has sent shockwaves through Washington, a trove of purloined Iranian government emails has implicated Robert Malley, the Biden administration’s Iran envoy, in funding, supporting, and directing an Iranian intelligence operation aimed at influencing the United States and its allies, as was reported by Lee Smith in an October 1st article titled “High Level Iranian Spy Ring Busted in Washington” that appeared on the TabletMag.com website. The emails were first reported by Jay Solomon, a veteran Wall Street Journal correspondent, writing in Semafor, and were later confirmed by Iran International, a London-based émigré opposition outlet known for its reliable sources inside Iran, Smith writes.
The revelations about Tabatabai’s involvement in the Iran Experts Initiative have raised questions about potential implications for U.S. national security and the influence of foreign entities on American policy circles.
