(S) IAEA/IRAN: UK STRAW SWINGS FM STOERE

S E C R E T OSLO 000068 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2016 TAGS: PARM KNNP PREL IR NO SUBJECT: (S) IAEA/IRAN: UK STRAW SWINGS FM STOERE REF: OSLO 63 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: P/E Counselor Mike Hammer, reason 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Norwegian MFA Assistant Secretary for Security Policy Kaare Aas (strictly protect) told us on January 19 that UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has successfully assuaged Norwegian FM Jonas Stoere's concerns about what may transpire in the UN Security Council if the IAEA Board agrees to report Iran. Straw and Stoere spoke on January 19, and Straw assured Stoere that reporting Iran to the UNSC would not immediately engender a push for sanctions, rather an escalating approach towards Iran that reinforces the IAEA. Straw also sought to convince Stoere to follow the British (EU-3) lead in the February 2-3 Extraordinary IAEA Board meeting and support reporting Iran to the UNSC. ¶2. (S) Aas said that following his discussion with Straw, Stoere was now prepared to drop his support for a "two stage" approach, i.e. punting an eventual IAEA Board decision down the pike to March. Stoere's Chief of Staff confirmed to us separately that Stoere is now prepared to follow the British direction on reporting Iran to UNSC. ¶3. (S) Comment. Aas was obviously pleased by the new marching orders he had received from FM Stoere. Norway may still be queasy, but we don't expect that Stoere would change course and backtrack on his decision now to follow Britain's lead. The conversation with Foreign Secretary Straw seems to have done the trick and brought Stoere on board. Visit Oslo's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m WHITNEY NNNN