MOBILIZING PRESSURE TO PERSUADE IRAN'S ENGAGEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000059

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2021
TAGS: IR PARM PREL UNSC
SUBJECT: MOBILIZING PRESSURE TO PERSUADE IRAN'S ENGAGEMENT
ON ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM

REF: SECSTATE 9124

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter Henry Barlerin, for reasons 1.4
(b) (d).


1. (C) On February 1 Charge met with Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Secretary General Al-Maamoun Keita to highlight U.S.
efforts to mobilize diplomatic engagement with Iran in 2009,
underscore the lack of a meaningful Iranian response, outline
U.S. view of the necessity of increasing pressure on Iran;
and seek cooperation. Charge shared with the Secretary
General French-language versions of the IAEA Board of
Governors Iran resolution from November and the European
Council's declaration on Iran from December.


2. (C) Keita said he had received the Charge d'Affaires of
the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran a couple of weeks
ago, and the latter had asked him Mali's views on the
tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program. Keita said he
told the Iranian Charge that Iran was a member of the
International Atomic Energy Agency and thus had to abide by
its resolutions. He said further that Mali is a signatory to
the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, also known as
the Treaty of Pelindaba, and could not support Iran's
development of a nuclear capability for other than peaceful
purposes. He noted that the Iranian Charge had sought to
convince him that Iran was only seeking to develop nuclear
power for civilian use, and is leaning in the direction of
starting to enrich uranium to higher levels to make its own
fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor because it does not
trust the Russians or the French to deliver the quality of
uranium it requires. The Secretary General said he had
replied that that was not a valid excuse. If the countries
delivering the fuel fail to provide what had been agreed,
Iran could appeal to the IAEA.
BARLERIN