Malley, Robert, 1963-

Robert Malley (born 1963) is an American lawyer, political scientist and specialist in conflict resolution, who was the lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Malley was Director for Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the National Security Council from 1994 to 1996 and Program Director for Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group and Assistant to National Security Advisor Sandy Berger from 1996 to 1998. As Special Assistant to President Clinton from 1998 to 2001, he was a member of the U.S. peace team and helped organize the 2000 Camp David Summit. He served in the National Security Council under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. In 2015, the Obama administration appointed Malley as its "point man" on the Middle East, leading the Middle East desk of the National Security Council. In November 2015, Malley was named as President Obama's new special ISIS advisor. After leaving the Obama administration, Malley was President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, a Brussels non-profit committed to preventing wars. In January 2021, President Joe Biden named Malley as special U.S. envoy for Iran. He was tasked with bringing the United States and Iran into compliance with the JCPOA after it had been abandoned by former president Donald Trump. In late 2023 it was widely reported that Malley's loyalties were to Tehran, not Washington, based on joint reporting by Iran International and Semafor on a 2003-2021 trove of Iranian diplomats' emails. In 2023, Malley's security clearance was revoked and he was placed on a paid, then an unpaid leave of absence pending an investigation into his handling of classified information. The investigation was later referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).