IRAN: MAINTAINING PRESSURE AND SEEKING REGIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000456 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2016 TAGS: KNNP PREL PARM IR YM DEMARCHE SUBJECT: IRAN: MAINTAINING PRESSURE AND SEEKING REGIONAL SUPPORT REF: STATE 19516 Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for reasons 1.4 b and d. (C) DCM delivered reftel demarche to Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Akwa on February 21 and thanked the ROYG for supporting the IAEA Board resolution reporting Iran to the UN Security Council. Akwa noted that President Saleh delivered a "very clear message" to visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Bakiri on February 16, urging Iran to cooperate with the international community. According to Akwa, Saleh stressed that "the whole world is not on Iran's side, so you must build trust and be flexible." Akwa hoped that the Gulf States would assume a more public role in pressuring Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA resolution. DCM agreed on the importance of maintaining international pressure, saying that the USG is working with other countries in the region to hold Iran to its international obligations. Krajeski