Ariane Tabatabai, a senior staffer in the office of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who was identified as the source behind the recent leak of classified documents detailing Israel’s military preparations for a potential strike on Iran, has been moved to a new role in the defense department where she will have less access to intelligence. Tabatabi was moved to the force and education department within Austin’s office, where she will have “significantly less access to intelligence and covert military programs,” according to former Defense Department officials interviewed by The Free Press. Tabatabi, who is an Iranian-American, was previously linked by an Iran International investigation to an Iranian-led influence network. Over a year ago, the Iran International investigation revealed that Tabatabi is an integral member of the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI) – a network established by Iran’s foreign ministry in 2014 to promote Tehran’s interests within Western policy circles. Despite the revelation, Tabatabi was not removed from her sensitive position as the Pentagon Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, and her security clearance was not removed. She previously served as a key aide to the since-suspended US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley, whose security clearance was removed due to the “mishandling of classified information.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)