REPORTING IRAN TO THE UNSC: UAE PERSPECTIVE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000257

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/UN, NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL AORC IR AE UN
SUBJECT: REPORTING IRAN TO THE UNSC: UAE PERSPECTIVE,
RUNNING DOWN THE CLOCK

REF: A. SECSTATE 6236

B. ABU DHABI 0103

C. DUBAI 0347

Classified By: DCM Martin Quinn, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On January 25, in the course of delivering demarches
on Afghanistan donors conference and Bashar Al-Asad's travel,
DCM met with MFA Asst U/S Tariq Al-Haidan and also reviewed
ref A points on Iran. Al-Haidan (who formerly served as UAE
ambassador in Iran) expressed what has been increasingly
vocal concern in UAEG circles about Iran,s nuclear
ambitions. DCM mentioned Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ)'s statement in Paris that the UAE is
against nuclear capability for Iran or any other program in
the Gulf as posing a danger (ref C).


2. (C) Al-Haidan said that although Iran had promised the
UAE that there would be no problems with Iranian nuclear
technology, such as the Russian Chernobyl experience, the UAE
was not accepting Iran's guarantees or assurances based on
the fact that radiation leakage would affect Iran first.
Al-Haidan said the UAE has tried to discourage Iran from
pursuing its nuclear ambitions but to no avail. He said the
reason the Iranians are being so stubborn is that they
absolutely intend to acquire a weapon for the purpose of
"ensuring the existence of the Islamic Republic against
foreign enemies for hundreds of years." According to
Al-Haidan, for the Iranians it's a matter of "regime
survival."


3. (C) Iran's strategy, he said, is to run down the clock:
"They will talk, talk, talk and meanwhile hope to complete
their program." Al-Haidan suggested that the Iranians were
hoping to have a nuclear weapon within a year and at that
point they would switch tactics and say, "We have it now.
Don't come near us."


4. (C) While Al-Haidan said the UAE is not afraid of being
attacked by Iran, it is very worried that action by the U.S.
or Israel against the Iranian nuclear plant could result in
an Iranian response that will affect the UAE -- in particular
its oil facilities. As a powerful country, he said, Iran
could launch rockets at its neighbors or even close the
Straits of Hormuz to tanker traffic.
SISON