MFA OFFICIAL SHARES SAME USG CONCERNS ABOUT IRAN'S

S E C R E T RIYADH 002397 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2017 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL SA SUBJECT: MFA OFFICIAL SHARES SAME USG CONCERNS ABOUT IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM REF: SECSTATE 162558 Classified By: POLITICAL-MILITARY COUNSELOR CLARENCE HUDSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (S) On December 4, the POL-MIL Counselor and the Executive Office Staff Assistant met with Dr. Riyadh Krimley, the Acting Director of International Organizations and the Deputy Director of the Western Department at the MFA, to deliver reftel remarks about the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran's Nuclear Program. Dr. Krimley is the highest ranking MFA official in Riyadh at the moment because of the GCC Summit in Doha, Qatar. The Charge d'Affaires and A/DCM will deliver the same points to the Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal with DAS Gordon Gray later in the afternoon when the Prince returns from Doha. Post will report about DAS Gray's meeting via septel. ¶2. (S) Dr. Krimley thanked the POL-MIL Counselor for his remarks and said that he would pass the information along to the highest authority in the Saudi Arabian Government (SAG). He remarked that the SAG shares the same concerns about Iran that the USG does, noting that a united international stand is needed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. ¶3. (S) Krimley characterized Iran's continued development and testing of ballistic missiles as a "scary and deep concern for the SAG." Based on these weapons, he believes that there is "little doubt that Iran's nuclear intentions are for military purposes." ¶4. (S) Dr. Krimley also confirmed that the Foreign Minister will attend the Paris Donors Conference for the Palestinian Authority in Paris on December 17. He also noted that the Foreign Minister said the recent Annapolis Conference was successful. GFOELLER