Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DOHA493
2009-08-04 12:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Doha
Cable title:
IRAN'S AMBASSADOR IN QATAR -- CROWN PRINCE TO
how-toVZCZCXRO4210 PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR RUEHROV DE RUEHDO #0493/01 2161202 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041202Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY DOHA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9297 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000493
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2019
TAGS: PREL ENRG IR QA
SUBJECT: IRAN'S AMBASSADOR IN QATAR -- CROWN PRINCE TO
VISIT TEHRAN
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reason 1.4 (b and d).
----------------
(SBU) KEY POINTS
----------------
-- At a press conference held on July 27, the new Iranian
Ambassador to Qatar, Abdullah Sohrabi, announced that Crown
Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani would visit Tehran after
Ramadan.
-- Significantly, he said the Crown Prince had now taken
charge of Iranian issues for the Government of Qatar.
-- The Iranian Ambassador said Qatar and Iran plan to expand
air links and open trade centers in one another's countries.
------------
(C) COMMENTS
------------
-- A state visit to Iran by the Crown Prince is plausible.
Qatar's shared gas field with Iran is central to Qatar's
economic future, and Qatar has the strategic intent of
keeping its relationship with Iran as trouble-free as
possible.
-- It is also plausible that the Crown Prince is taking on
more responsibility for Qatar's relationship with Iran,
although the Qataris cannot have been happy with the Iranian
Ambassador for making such a public statement.
-- If Sohrabi's comments are true, such a shift could well be
at the expense of the Prime Minister, who has lost a couple
of recent battles to maintain his control over GOQ
ministries.
-- As the Crown Prince continues to grow into his position as
the Heir Apparent, he will almost certainly come into
increasing competition with the Prime Minister for control
and influence over the activities of the state. For at least
a year, the Crown Prince has been slowly taking on more and
more responsibility, apparently with the active support of
the Amir.
End Key Points and Comments.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000493
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2019
TAGS: PREL ENRG IR QA
SUBJECT: IRAN'S AMBASSADOR IN QATAR -- CROWN PRINCE TO
VISIT TEHRAN
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reason 1.4 (b and d).
--------------
(SBU) KEY POINTS
--------------
-- At a press conference held on July 27, the new Iranian
Ambassador to Qatar, Abdullah Sohrabi, announced that Crown
Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani would visit Tehran after
Ramadan.
-- Significantly, he said the Crown Prince had now taken
charge of Iranian issues for the Government of Qatar.
-- The Iranian Ambassador said Qatar and Iran plan to expand
air links and open trade centers in one another's countries.
--------------
(C) COMMENTS
--------------
-- A state visit to Iran by the Crown Prince is plausible.
Qatar's shared gas field with Iran is central to Qatar's
economic future, and Qatar has the strategic intent of
keeping its relationship with Iran as trouble-free as
possible.
-- It is also plausible that the Crown Prince is taking on
more responsibility for Qatar's relationship with Iran,
although the Qataris cannot have been happy with the Iranian
Ambassador for making such a public statement.
-- If Sohrabi's comments are true, such a shift could well be
at the expense of the Prime Minister, who has lost a couple
of recent battles to maintain his control over GOQ
ministries.
-- As the Crown Prince continues to grow into his position as
the Heir Apparent, he will almost certainly come into
increasing competition with the Prime Minister for control
and influence over the activities of the state. For at least
a year, the Crown Prince has been slowly taking on more and
more responsibility, apparently with the active support of
the Amir.
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (SBU) In a press conference held July 27 in Doha, Iranian
Ambassador to Qatar Abdullah Sohrabi announced that Qatari
Crown Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani would visit Tehran at
the end of Ramadan.
2. (SBU) He added that several political and Islamic issues
would be addressed during that visit and predicted a "leap
forward" in the Iran-Qatar bilateral relationship. He also
noted that Tamim would be overseeing the "file of Qatar's
relationship with Iran." He emphasized the need for an
increased Qatari-Iranian economic expansion and characterized
relations between Tehran and Doha as "warm and friendly."
3. (SBU) The Iranian Ambassador also stressed that Qatar and
Iran held similiar positions on several international issues,
especially in relation to Lebanon and Palestine. He said that
the support given by Qatar to the people of Lebanon and
Palestine "would be recorded in letters of light" throughout
history.
4. (SBU) Sohrabi expressed his gratitude towards the Amir and
the Crown Prince for supporting Islamic issues important to
Iran. He hailed Qatar's efforts to deepen its political and
economic ties with Iran, and thanked Qatar for voting for
Iran to host the 2012 summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM). He noted that Iran had voted for Qatar to host the
Gas Forum.
5. (SBU) The Iranian Ambassador stressed that there were many
opportunities for the two nations to strengthen their
co-operation in the gas and oil sectors. To help facilitate
that cooperation, Sohrabi hoped to increase monthly flights
between Qatar and Iran from 20 to 200. He noted that plans
were underway for the two nations to open trade center in one
another's countries and that this would foster economic ties.
He also pointed out that Qatar will host the largest Iranian
trade fair in the region within the next four months.
6. (SBU) Sohrabi closed his interview by answering questions
related to the Iranian presidential elections. He blamed
"hidden hands" for disrupting the Iranian political process,
adding that the unrest was intentionally orchestrated to
distort Iran's image. Moreover, he said, Western powers were
DOHA 00000493 002 OF 002
creating "Iran phobia" within the Gulf region to disrupt
Iran's relations with its Arab neighbors.
LeBaron
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2019
TAGS: PREL ENRG IR QA
SUBJECT: IRAN'S AMBASSADOR IN QATAR -- CROWN PRINCE TO
VISIT TEHRAN
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reason 1.4 (b and d).
--------------
(SBU) KEY POINTS
--------------
-- At a press conference held on July 27, the new Iranian
Ambassador to Qatar, Abdullah Sohrabi, announced that Crown
Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani would visit Tehran after
Ramadan.
-- Significantly, he said the Crown Prince had now taken
charge of Iranian issues for the Government of Qatar.
-- The Iranian Ambassador said Qatar and Iran plan to expand
air links and open trade centers in one another's countries.
--------------
(C) COMMENTS
--------------
-- A state visit to Iran by the Crown Prince is plausible.
Qatar's shared gas field with Iran is central to Qatar's
economic future, and Qatar has the strategic intent of
keeping its relationship with Iran as trouble-free as
possible.
-- It is also plausible that the Crown Prince is taking on
more responsibility for Qatar's relationship with Iran,
although the Qataris cannot have been happy with the Iranian
Ambassador for making such a public statement.
-- If Sohrabi's comments are true, such a shift could well be
at the expense of the Prime Minister, who has lost a couple
of recent battles to maintain his control over GOQ
ministries.
-- As the Crown Prince continues to grow into his position as
the Heir Apparent, he will almost certainly come into
increasing competition with the Prime Minister for control
and influence over the activities of the state. For at least
a year, the Crown Prince has been slowly taking on more and
more responsibility, apparently with the active support of
the Amir.
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (SBU) In a press conference held July 27 in Doha, Iranian
Ambassador to Qatar Abdullah Sohrabi announced that Qatari
Crown Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani would visit Tehran at
the end of Ramadan.
2. (SBU) He added that several political and Islamic issues
would be addressed during that visit and predicted a "leap
forward" in the Iran-Qatar bilateral relationship. He also
noted that Tamim would be overseeing the "file of Qatar's
relationship with Iran." He emphasized the need for an
increased Qatari-Iranian economic expansion and characterized
relations between Tehran and Doha as "warm and friendly."
3. (SBU) The Iranian Ambassador also stressed that Qatar and
Iran held similiar positions on several international issues,
especially in relation to Lebanon and Palestine. He said that
the support given by Qatar to the people of Lebanon and
Palestine "would be recorded in letters of light" throughout
history.
4. (SBU) Sohrabi expressed his gratitude towards the Amir and
the Crown Prince for supporting Islamic issues important to
Iran. He hailed Qatar's efforts to deepen its political and
economic ties with Iran, and thanked Qatar for voting for
Iran to host the 2012 summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM). He noted that Iran had voted for Qatar to host the
Gas Forum.
5. (SBU) The Iranian Ambassador stressed that there were many
opportunities for the two nations to strengthen their
co-operation in the gas and oil sectors. To help facilitate
that cooperation, Sohrabi hoped to increase monthly flights
between Qatar and Iran from 20 to 200. He noted that plans
were underway for the two nations to open trade center in one
another's countries and that this would foster economic ties.
He also pointed out that Qatar will host the largest Iranian
trade fair in the region within the next four months.
6. (SBU) Sohrabi closed his interview by answering questions
related to the Iranian presidential elections. He blamed
"hidden hands" for disrupting the Iranian political process,
adding that the unrest was intentionally orchestrated to
distort Iran's image. Moreover, he said, Western powers were
DOHA 00000493 002 OF 002
creating "Iran phobia" within the Gulf region to disrupt
Iran's relations with its Arab neighbors.
LeBaron