UN/IRAN SANCTIONS: BANK SEPAH DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000722 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM IR UNSC MNUC ETTC KNNP SUBJECT: UN/IRAN SANCTIONS: BANK SEPAH DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO CHINESE MISSION REF: A. STATE 85096 ¶B. NOTE FROM CHAIR OF 1737 COMMITTEE (S/AC.50/2008/COMM.80) ¶1. (SBU) USUN delivered ref A demarche on August 11 to Cui Wei, attach at the Chinese Mission to the UN, about China's recent authorization of payments from Bank Sepah of Iran (ref B). USUN requested that China provide more information about these transactions, including the types of contract or payment involved, details about the underlying goods, information about the parties involved and whether the funds are now in China. ¶2. (SBU) Cui said he will work with Beijing to provide a timely response to our questions. Noting the recent distribution of a P3 list of banks domiciled in Iran and their branches/subsidiaries, he said Beijing had noticed that Washington was paying particularly close attention to the implementation of UNSCR provisions regarding Iranian financial institutions. USUN confirmed this was indeed true. Khalilzad