JORDAN: EXPANDING THE CHORUS ON IRAN, IAEA MIDDLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002114 SIPDIS ISN/RA FOR JODY DANIEL, ARIEL STUKALIN, RISA MONGIELLO, MICHAEL, BEDKE, AND BRECK HEIDLBERG E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2019 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA IR PREL AORC JO SUBJECT: JORDAN: EXPANDING THE CHORUS ON IRAN, IAEA MIDDLE EAST ISSUES REF: A. STATE 95073 ¶B. STATE 94890 Classified By: DCM Lawrence Mandel for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarches on September 15 to Samer Naber, Chief of the Americas Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Naber commented that Jordan and other GCC 3 states "have been reserved" recently in talking about Iran's nuclear program. He saw this as a byproduct of direct P5 1 talks with Iran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings. According to Naber, GCC 3 states are reluctant to be seen as disturbing those talks or intervening in what may be sensitive and delicate discussions by making public statements. Naber also indicated that Jordan and its neighbors have been "giving Iran the benefit of the doubt" as long as negotiations continue, even if they are stalled. Nevertheless, Naber valued the points on Iran for both the UN General Assembly meeting and the IAEA meeting, and promised to forward them without delay to Jordan's representatives in both bodies. Beecroft