Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RPODUBAI537
2009-12-20 13:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Iran RPO Dubai
Cable title:
OFFICIAL IRANIAN REACTION TO CHARGES OF OCCUPYING IRAQI OIL
how-toVZCZCXRO1287 RR RUEHBC RUEHKUK DE RUEHDIR #0537 3541346 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 201346Z DEC 09 FM IRAN RPO DUBAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0003 INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE RHEFDHP/DIA DHP-1 WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L RPO DUBAI 000537
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/20
TAGS: PREL ENRG PBTS IR
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL IRANIAN REACTION TO CHARGES OF OCCUPYING IRAQI OIL
FIELD
CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Eyre, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RPO DUBAI 000537
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/20
TAGS: PREL ENRG PBTS IR
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL IRANIAN REACTION TO CHARGES OF OCCUPYING IRAQI OIL
FIELD
CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Eyre, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (SBU) According to Iranian press IRIG officials have
consistently denied Iranian military forces have crossed into Iraq
and seized an oil well on December 18, with Iran claiming that
foreign press reports of the seizure were intended to disrupt the
friendly relations between the two countries. On December 19,
Iranian officialsclaimed that the Iraqis had agreed to form a
bilateral arbitration commission to settle the disputed area.
2. (SBU) On December 19 Foreign Ministry spokesman Rahmin
Mehmanparast told semi-official news agency ISNA that reports of an
Iranian incursion into Iraq to seize the well were "baseless
propaganda." He added that these "fabrications" were intended to
undermine Iranian and Iraqi relations ahead of the Iraqi
parliamentary elections, a point repeated by other Iranian
officials elsewhere. He maintained that Iran was prepared to
settle the dispute over the area diplomatically, under the terms of
the 1975 Algiers treaty between Iraq and Iran. Mehmanparast
stressed that Iran had previously proposed creating a commission to
handle border issues but had never received an Iraqi response. BBC
Persian quoted Majlis Foreign Relations and Foreign Policy
Committee member Hossein Ebrahimi as saying that Iran has gone to
great lengths to demonstrate its goodwill toward Iraq, even
dropping reference to what he claimed were billions of dollars in
compensation owed Iran from the Iran-Iraq War. Iran's ambassador
in Baghdad, Hassan Kazem-Qomi, also denied any Iranian troops were
on Iraqi territory.
3. (SBU) Later, other Iranian media reported that the Iraqis had
agreed to mediate the dispute. ISNA reported December 19 that
Foreign Minister Mottaki and Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari spoke
via telephone over what was described as a "misunderstanding among
border officials" and agreement was reached to form a technical
committee to resolve this and other border issues.
4. (C) COMMENT: At first take, it is difficult to discern Iran's
intentions. Iran's denials ring hollow, especially when considered
in light of the consistent statements made by various IRIG
officials on Iran's willingness to discuss this disputed area with
their Iraqi counterparts. It seems unlikely that this foray was
primarily an effort to stake a claim to a single oil well, and it
could be that IRIG has a broader purpose in mind in trying to bring
the Iraqis into discussions on border delineation. END COMMENT.
EYRE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/20
TAGS: PREL ENRG PBTS IR
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL IRANIAN REACTION TO CHARGES OF OCCUPYING IRAQI OIL
FIELD
CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Eyre, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office;
REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
1. (SBU) According to Iranian press IRIG officials have
consistently denied Iranian military forces have crossed into Iraq
and seized an oil well on December 18, with Iran claiming that
foreign press reports of the seizure were intended to disrupt the
friendly relations between the two countries. On December 19,
Iranian officialsclaimed that the Iraqis had agreed to form a
bilateral arbitration commission to settle the disputed area.
2. (SBU) On December 19 Foreign Ministry spokesman Rahmin
Mehmanparast told semi-official news agency ISNA that reports of an
Iranian incursion into Iraq to seize the well were "baseless
propaganda." He added that these "fabrications" were intended to
undermine Iranian and Iraqi relations ahead of the Iraqi
parliamentary elections, a point repeated by other Iranian
officials elsewhere. He maintained that Iran was prepared to
settle the dispute over the area diplomatically, under the terms of
the 1975 Algiers treaty between Iraq and Iran. Mehmanparast
stressed that Iran had previously proposed creating a commission to
handle border issues but had never received an Iraqi response. BBC
Persian quoted Majlis Foreign Relations and Foreign Policy
Committee member Hossein Ebrahimi as saying that Iran has gone to
great lengths to demonstrate its goodwill toward Iraq, even
dropping reference to what he claimed were billions of dollars in
compensation owed Iran from the Iran-Iraq War. Iran's ambassador
in Baghdad, Hassan Kazem-Qomi, also denied any Iranian troops were
on Iraqi territory.
3. (SBU) Later, other Iranian media reported that the Iraqis had
agreed to mediate the dispute. ISNA reported December 19 that
Foreign Minister Mottaki and Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari spoke
via telephone over what was described as a "misunderstanding among
border officials" and agreement was reached to form a technical
committee to resolve this and other border issues.
4. (C) COMMENT: At first take, it is difficult to discern Iran's
intentions. Iran's denials ring hollow, especially when considered
in light of the consistent statements made by various IRIG
officials on Iran's willingness to discuss this disputed area with
their Iraqi counterparts. It seems unlikely that this foray was
primarily an effort to stake a claim to a single oil well, and it
could be that IRIG has a broader purpose in mind in trying to bring
the Iraqis into discussions on border delineation. END COMMENT.
EYRE