The CIA has suspended Jonathan Bank, the chief of its Iran espionnage cell.

Mr. Bank, 46, was top assistant to James Pavitt, who from 1999 to 2004 headed the CIA’s clandestine operations. He also served in the Balkans, Moscow, Baghdad and finally in Islamabad. In 2010, he came into conflict with the Pakistani government, who leaked his name and blew his cover, forcing him to return to the United States.

According to the Pakistani press at the time, Jonathan Bank was responsible for introducing Academi mercenaries inside the Pakistani army headquarters so that they could steal weapons to be passed on to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These terrorists were then reported to have sparked unrest in Islamabad, justifying the intervention of the U.S. Army.

The exact reasons for Jonathan Bank’s current suspension are unknown, but members of his team have complained about the hostile working environment he had created.

Iran remains a priority target of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).