Last month news broke that several Iranian operatives, reportedly members of that nation’s Iranian Expert’s Initiative (IEI), were working in high-level positions across the Biden administration.

These individuals communicated directly with Iranian Foreign Ministry officials asking for advice and direction, pledged their allegiance to the Iranian regime and on several occasions agreed to advocate for Iran, Semafor reported.

The official responsible for many of these placements, President Joe Biden’s Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, was suspended along with most of the operatives. Yet, one individual implicated in the leaked emails, Ariane Tabatabai, remains at the Department of Defense, potentially jeopardizing the safety of our special operations forces and success of their missions.

Tabatabai is currently serving as the chief of staff to the assistant secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (ASD SOLIC). In that role she helps to oversee the authorities, direction and employment of all U.S. special operations forces.