P5 MEETING WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL ON IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000427

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2011
TAGS: KNNP IAEA AORC IR
SUBJECT: P5 MEETING WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL ON IRAN


(U) Classified by USUN Minister-Counselor William J.
Brencick for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Ambassador Sanders and Pol MinCouns and the other P5
Ambassadors met with the SYG and former Chief of Staff and
new Deputy SYG Designate Malloch Brown early in the evening
of March 3. SYG called the meeting to offer a briefing on
his meetings with former Iranian President Khatami in Doha.
SYG offered this readout with the observation that he hoped
it could contribute to the Council's discussion of Iran.
Annan reported that Khatami complained that Iran's intentions
and policies toward nuclear issues and more generally had not
changed (although he admitted some of the controversial
public statements of the new President obscured this fact).
However, according to Khatami the attitude of the outside
world had hardened. Iran had a right to develop nuclear
technology under the NPT, but the Europeans were seeking to
impose new conditions that would force Iran to forego these
rights, going beyond the guarantees that had been negotiated.
Iran had accepted an EU deal to fully implement the
Additional Protocol, to put a 3.5% limit on enrichment, and
to offer full cooperation to the IAEA. Now, following
Iranian elections, this was not enough. Khatami told the SYG
that if the EU was willing to allow research on enrichment
and a "pilot program," Iran would sign on to this agreement.


2. (C) Khatami insisted that referring this matter to the
UNSC was not in Iran or anyone else's interest. Iranian
public opinion was firm in demanding development of nuclear
technology. Western countries offered nuclear fuel but no
technological know-how, the very thing that Iranians
demanded. All of Iran's enrichment activities would be
carried on under close IAEA supervision. SYG commented that
Khatami was one of Iran's "moderate voices" and might be
worth listening to at least to compare his message with that
of other sources. Khatami insisted that the SYG had a role
to play in helping to overcome the current impasse, although
Annan presented this claim neutrally and said he did not
encourage him on this point.


3. (C) UK's Jones Parry gave a forceful presentation
emphasizing that to say Iran's intentions had not changed was
quite worrisome in itself, given their history of persistent
deception and clandestine nuclear activity, and that Iran has
gone back on its assurances. Carrying on "research" was not
a minor point or a trivial concession -- a fully developed
"pilot program" could jump into industrial production and
making highly enriched uranium very quickly. Any such
activity was flatly unacceptable for the capability it
potentially offered Iran in weapons production. Jones Parry
reported that the Larajani meetings with the EU3 in Vienna
earlier in the day had been "constructive" but indicated no
"move on substance" nor willingness on Iran's part to agree
to the February BOG's demand that all enrichment activity
again be suspended in order to begin to restore confidence in
Iran's intentions, even though this was not a permanent ban.
Meanwhile, Iran is clearly buying time. At March 6 BOG, the
decision will be how to respond, but time is clearly running
out.


4. (C) SYG asked if Iran was still in touch with the
Russians and if there was a chance of progress before the
March 6 BOG. Ambassador Denisov simply referred to Lavrov's
statement earlier today to the effect that the Russian offer
of a joint venture for uranium enrichment remained on the
table as did, he quickly added, a demand for a full
moratorium of all enrichment activities in Iran. There may
still be time, but there was no agreement as yet. Chinese
Ambassador Wang then reported on his Deputy Foreign
Minister's visit to Tehran, where he delivered the clear
message that Iran had lost and needed to restore the
confidence of the international community -- the only means
to do this at present was to reinstitute the moratorium on
enrichment. Time was indeed limited but a diplomatic
solution was still "hoped for" by the Chinese. French
PermRep de la Sabliere simply added that Iran said nothing
new to the EU3 in Vienna today. He noted that the SYG should
take note of the unity of the P5 in making basic demands of
the Iranians. As for the argument that the Iranians had
boxed themselves into a corner, de la Sabliere was
dismissive. Iran had insisted once before that they could
not suspend enrichment and then agreed to do so -- they would
simply have to reverse themselves again. Ambassador Sanders,
noting that the U.S. was the only party in the room not
talking to the Iranians, thanked the others for their
readouts.

BOLTON