IRAN/IAEA: URGING SUPPORT FOR FIRM ACTION

S E C R E T NEW DELHI 006250 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2015 TAGS: PARM PREL IR EU IN SUBJECT: IRAN/IAEA: URGING SUPPORT FOR FIRM ACTION REF: STATE 148169 Classified By: Charge Robert O. Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (U) This is an action message please see para 3. ¶2. (S) In coordination with EU partners, PolCouns presented reftel demarche to MEA Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Dilip Sinha on August 11. The Charge double-tracked in an August 11 meeting with Deputy NSA Vijay Nambiar. Both the Charge and PolCouns framed this issue in terms of the July 18 US-India Joint Declaration, noting our hope that India will work affirmatively to help achieve a re-suspension of Iranian enrichment activities. Nambiar reported that he spoke August 10 with Ambassador to Vienna Sheel Kant Sharma, who had indicated that India was having trouble with others in the NAM because Iran was pushing for a collective response that would "suit Tehran's requirements." He noted that New Delhi had been in touch with the new Iranian government to urge a constructive response to the EU-3 initiative, but was concerned that the new regime was only focused on demonstrating a more assertive attitude. Nambiar added that the GOI was conscious of expectations that might arise from the July 18 US-India understandings on civil nuclear cooperation, and noted that US points about WMD and terrorism addressed issues that were also of great concern to India. The DNSA recalled that India has made clear its views about Iran's NPT obligations. Regarding terrorism, he suggested that New Delhi "has not come to the judgment you have" about Tehran's support for Islamic extremism. The Charge emphasized that Iran's activities in this area are well documented, and suggested a US briefing on this issue, which Nambiar readily accepted. ¶3. (S) Action Request: Embassy would welcome a Secret/Releasable to India paper with points on Iran's SIPDIS support for terrorism that we could share with the GOI. BLAKE