IRANIAN ACTIONS AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA, NEW ANTI-US

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000909 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL PHUM PROP SA YM AJ IR SUBJECT: IRANIAN ACTIONS AGAINST SAUDI ARABIA, NEW ANTI-US MEDIA CAMPAIGN REPORTEDLY APPROVED BY SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL REF: DUBAI 502 Classified By: POL/ECON Counselor Rob Garverick, Reason 1.4 (B and D) ¶1. (S/NOFORN) Baku Iran watcher met on Thursday evening November 19 with an Iranian-Azerbaijani journalist/magazine editor who has reported reliably in the past. The Iranian provided the following information that he claimed to have received from a network of sources, including staff of members of the Supreme National Security Council (Shuraye Aliye Amniate Melli) and a member of the Milli Majlis: ¶A. Possible Iranian Actions Against Saudi Arabia -------------- -------------- ¶2. (S) According to the source, the Security Council discussed deteriorating relations with Saudi Arabia during a meeting last weekend attended by President Ahmedinejad, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Judiciary head Sadeq Larijani, a representative of Supreme Leader Khameini, and about a dozen others. The council members reportedly discussed increasingly common Saudi military intervention against Iran-backed Sh,ia rebels in Yemen. The members agreed that Iranian pressure on Saudi Arabia should be increased in order to force it to desist from further military intervention and interception of ships suspected of carrying arms and material supplies to the Yemeni rebels. ¶3. (S) According to source, if Saudi Arabia does not soon back down, the Council agreed to take punitive actions against Saudi Arabia, drawn from a menu of options. One of these, he said, is to stage violent "spontaneous" mass demonstrations in front of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran denouncing Saudi "massacre of Sh,ias," and posibly culminating in a "student occupation" of the Saudi Embassy. According to source, the argument was made that this strategy would be a good way to distract, and even germinate regime support, from currently alienated students and other young people. ¶4. (S) Note: In a subsequent conversation on November 20, source claimed to have access evidence that Iran is actively supplying the Yemeni rebels. He promised to provide this information, as well as information on how the supplies are supposedly being delivered, in a follow-up meeting with Iran watcher on November 23. End Note. ¶B. New Anti-American Campaign to be Launched -------------- ¶5. (S) The source said that this was the main agenda item during the Security Council meeting. He said that the Council approved a document arguing that the U.S. "is planning to wage war" in order to save itself from the current economic crisis. (Note: Source clarified that the document did NOT state that this "new war" would necessarily be against Iran; however that may have bee the implication. End Note). Source said that, ased on this document, it was decided to begin a major new anti-American P/R campaign targeting supposed American war-mongering. Source said that a decision was made to send appropriate instructions and guidance to Iranian state-controlled media, detailing this theme for incorporation in forth coming broadcasts. He added that initial instructions related to this new campaign have already started to go out to local media outlets. ¶C. Deceased Physician/Possible Tabriz Protest -------------- - ¶6. (C) Source reported that the mother of the recently deceased prison physician (retel) has "gone public" with claims that he was murdered because he refused to sign a document stating that he had approved prison rapes and torture of prisoners. Source also related that unnamed intellectuals and students in Tabriz are contemplating staging a demonstration and/or some other form of attention-getting activity during the forthcoming visit to Tabriz of President Ahmedinejad(Note: It was unclear if these notional protesters were aware that Turkish Foreign minister would meet with Ahmedinejad in Tabriz on November 21. Iran BAKU 00000909 002 OF 002 watcher is following the situation via Tabriz contacts and will report if anything unusual occurs there. End Note.) LU