AMBASSADOR RAISES IRAN WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000691 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2019 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM IAEA PREL AORC IR TS SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES IRAN WITH FOREIGN MINISTER REF: A. TUNIS 688 (NOTAL) ¶B. SECSTATE 95073 Classified By: Ambassador Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During his September 17 call on Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah, the Ambasador raised the lack of sufficient Iranian cooperation with the IAEA. He encouraged the Minister to express Tunisian concerns on the issue publicly when the Minister speaks at the UN General Assembly. The Ambassador passed a copy of a diplomatic note provided to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier in the week containing ref B points. The Minister did not provide a substantive reply. ¶2. (C) Comment: While the Tunisians have stated their concerns in private about Iranian behavior, they are not likely to say so publicly at the UNGA. End comment. GRAY