DEMARCHES DELIVERED: ROYG RESPONSE ON IRAN AND

S E C R E T SANAA 001899 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD AND ISN/RA RNEPHEW, RMONGIELLO, MBEDKE, AND BHEIDLBERG E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2019 TAGS: PARM KNNP MNUC AORC UNSC IAEA PREL IR ETTC YM SUBJECT: DEMARCHES DELIVERED: ROYG RESPONSE ON IRAN AND URANIUM ENRICHMENT FACILITY REF: A. A) STATE 100765 ¶B. B) STATE 100153 ¶C. C) STATE 95073 Classified By: CDA Angie Bryan for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (S) On October 13, PolOff delivered reftel demarches to Ambassador Ali al-Kaf, the Chief of Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),on the subjects of Iran, its covert uranium enrichment facility, and meetings being held by the international community to discuss growing concerns on Iran's nuclear program. ¶2. (S) Reftel A demarche was delivered without response. ¶3. (C) Reftel B demarche was delivered and Kaf responded that he had heard media reports of the uranium enrichment facility in Qom, and that, he appreciated the detail on the centrifuges. He also expressed concerns over the non-civilian nature of this facility. ¶4. (C) Reftel C demarche was delivered and Kaf stated his concerns that Iranian officials have not been completely honest regarding their program; however, ROYG policy currently stipulates that a diplomatic solution remains the best way forward. Kaf said Iranian officials continue to assert that their program is strictly for peaceful purposes during his informal interactions with Iranian diplomats in country; however, he is not convinced they are being forthright. Kaf reasserted Yemen's position that nuclear programs for peaceful purposes remain acceptable for the Iranians to pursue, but that Yemen will never support the existence or use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Kaf assured PolOff that Yemen is ready to cooperate fully with the U.S. and the international community to assist in achieving a diplomatic solution to the Iranian issue. Kaf did not commit to issuing a public statement singly or multilaterally criticizing Iran's lack of cooperation with the IAEA, but remained open to the possibility in the future. However, Kaf reiterated that nuclear weapons held by any country in the region, including Israel, constitute a potential threat to peace and regional stability. BRYAN