The administration’s announcement comes on the heels of reports that the US and Iran are close to an interim nuclear deal including some sanctions relief
A series of recent high-level meetings suggests Beijing may be willing to engage with Washington again, in spite of various provocations and a complete diplomatic breakdown in February.
The strike comes amid a recent uptick in attacks on Crimea which even the hawkish Secretary of State Antony Blinken has acknowledged would cross Moscow’s "red line" and provoke a severe reaction.
Mike Morell was asked by Antony Blinken, a then senior campaign official, to organize the letter signed by 51 intelligence officials which falsely claimed the story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign
