Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s lead negotiator in talks concerning the 2015 Iran nuclear deal has been placed "on leave,” the State Department confirmed Thursday.

“Rob Malley is on leave and Abram Paley is serving as acting Special Envoy for Iran and leading the Department’s work in this area,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a brief statement to reporters.

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Blinken’s team confirmed that Malley’s leave, following a report by Iran International, a Saudi Arabia-backed media outlet based in the United Kingdom, “has been absent for a considerable period prompting speculation about potential conduct-related issues.” Malley acknowledged that a probe is underway but emphasized that he has not been informed of the reason.

“I have been informed that my security clearance is under review,” Malley told Axios. “I have not been provided any further information, but I expect the investigation to be resolved favorably and soon. In the meantime, I am on leave.”

Malley has spear-headed President Joe Biden’s U.S. efforts to rehabilitate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal since 2021, but the negotiators never finalized the breakthrough.

“Iran either couldn’t or wouldn’t do what was necessary to get back into compliance. And that goes back now many, many months,” Blinken said Wednesday at the Council on Foreign Relations. “So there is no agreement in the offing, even as we’re — we continue to be willing to explore diplomatic paths.”

U.S. and Iranian officials reportedly conducted indirect “proximity talks” in Oman in May, but Malley was not on the trip.

“Malley’s absence from the Oman negotiations implies that the White House and the U.S. National Security Council have assumed control of the discussions with Iran, effectively sidelining the special envoy,” the report stated. “Malley had been deeply involved in trying to free dual national prisoners from Iran before his unexpected leave. The sources suggest that he intended to step down from his position following their release, hoping to end his tenure on a high note.”

U.S. and Iranian officials reportedly have been negotiating the potential terms of an “interim deal” that reportedly would stipulate a cap on Iranian uranium enrichment.

“In exchange, Tehran would be allowed to export up to a million barrels of oil per day and gain access to its income and other frozen funds abroad,” Middle East Eye reported on Thursday, citing Iranian sources. "Those funds would have to be exclusively used to purchase a range of essential items, including food and medication.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted recently that his “principled opposition” to the nuclear deal has constrained Biden’s decision-making.

“Our most important mission is to curb Iran’s nuclear program,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting last week. “We also tell [the U.S.] that even … ‘mini agreements,’ in our opinion, do not serve our goals, and we oppose those as well.”