UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RPO DUBAI 000507

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR PARM
SUBJECT: IRAN PRESS/NUCLEAR NOVEMBER 24: NSC HEAD JALILI, MFA
SPOKESMAN MEHMANPARAST ON IRONCLAD GUARANTEES

DUBAI 00000507 001.2 OF 002


TOPICS:



- NSC Head Jalili: We Want Ironclad Guarantees; P5+1 Still
Dithering (Nov 24)

- MFA Spokesman Rahminparast: The Other Side Should Give [100
percent] Fuel Guarantee Solution (Nov 24)




1. NSC HEAD JALILI: WE WANT IRONCLAD GUARANTEES; P5+1 STILL
DITHERING



National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili told press on
November 24 that:



- Iran it must have ironclad guarantees for fuel procurement and
if they aren't provided, it has other options it will put
forward.



- [Iran's opinion on P5+1's latest position]: "As we have
previously announced, Iran is ready have discussions concerning
its package of proposals and the topics that were put forward in
that package. We stated this matter clearly in Geneva and we
agreed to pursue discussions on Iran's proposed package and its
topics and now they apparently are busy talking internally and
they aren't ready. Whenever they are ready to talk about the
Iranian package and the joint concerns within it, we will
welcome it. We think Iran's proposed package has good topics
for forming cooperation concerning mutual concerns."



- [Re TRR]: "As we've said before, the issue of providing fuel
for TRR is not political and doesn't have any relation to talks
with the P5+1. It isn't a talk that has even technical or legal
aspects: it is simply a commercial issue."



- "Iran has requests in conjunction with the rights it has, and
it has asked the IAEA to act according to its supporting and
facilitating function. Of course we have other options for
procuring this fuel. In this regard, if people in this regard
act according to our requests in a timely manner, this in itself
adds to our lack of confidence in the behavior of these nations."



- [On Any Role Turkey Might Have in a TRR Deal]: Iran has asked
for TRR fuel from the IAEA in the context of the rights it had,
and the IAEA is obligated to relay Iran's request to those
countries who can fulfill it. In this regard, there must be
discussions which have only a commercial and economic aspect and
there must be no political considerations. Iran needs fuel and
wants to bu

y it, people can put it at our disposal and other
countries can make statements in this regard but they have no
role.



- "What Iran has said is that we need ironclad guarantees for
procuring fuel and if we don't have them, we have options that
we will put forward."




2. MFA SPOKESMAN RAHMINPARAST: THE OTHER SIDE SHOULD GIVE [100
PERCENT] FUEL GUARANTEE SOLUTION



In his November 24 weekly press conference, MFA spokesman Ramin
Mehmanparast said:


DUBAI 00000507 002.2 OF 002




- "We will not present a solution in relation to 100 percent
guarantee of fuel provision. The solutions that various
countries propose must create these guarantees...One of these
guarantees can be an exchange of fuel inside Iran."



- [Russia and Bushehr]: The delay in Bushehr has been due to
technical reasons. The latest agreements we have with Russia
calls for them to complete their commitments by the end of the
Christian year [i.e. 2009]~we hope these commitments are carried
out in such a timeframe.



- [Re Turkey's stated willingness to add itself to the P5+1]:
"In relation to Turkey's efforts to create a role for itself one
must say that many friendly countries have, with the intention
of helping on some issues, announced their willingness to help
us pursue our national interests and gain our basic rights,
which is important. We welcome anything that can help us
achieve our rights. Iran's nuclear issue must be removed from
the political sphere. This issue has been settled. Iran is an
NPT member and according to the NPT the fuel we need must be put
at our disposal~this is purely a commercial matter and must be
addressed in the language of commerce."



- "Our young scientists have the ability to enrich uranium to 20
percent and according to the NPT there is no bar to enriching
above 5 percent, but in the current conditions one of the
suggestions of our officials is buying 20 percent fuel for the
TRR.



- [Question: If Iran can enrich above 20 percent, has it taken
any steps to do so?] "If you had studied the statements of
[Deputy NSC Head] Baqeri, he also emphasized that we have not
taken steps in this regard; we have the ability to do so, and
can do so any time we wish."



- [Question: does Iran agree in principle with sending out its
uranium?]: Iran has three ways to procure TRR fuel: 1) buying 20
percent fuel, 2) we ourselves act to produce 10 [sic - typo?]
percent fuel, 3) we have a type of exchange between our 3.5
percent fuel and 20 percent fuel. No one in Iran has ever said
we oppose sending out 3.5 percent fuel: what we said was the
manner of sending it out and if it is said we are seeking 100
percent guarantees it is because this fuel will only be sent out
when we have 100 percent assurance of receiving 20 percent
fuel~.



- We want 100 percent guarantees. The countries with whom we
are having discussions haven't left a good impression in
[Iranian] public opinion. We have had commitments from France,
the UK and America which unfortunately~they haven't lived up to,
which has created a lack of confidence. So as not to repeat
previous problems we are seeking 100 percent guarantees.
EYREAE