C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 000269

SIPDIS

PASS TO ELISA CATALANO (NEA/FO) AND RICHARD NEPHEW (ISN/RA)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2019
TAGS: MNUC, KNNP, PREL, PGOV, PTER, PK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN RESPONSE: MOBILIZING PRESSURE TO PERSUADE
IRAN'S ENGAGEMENT ON ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM

REF: SECSTATE 09124

Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)

1. (C) Post delivered reftel demarche regarding mobilization
of pressure to persuade Iran's engagement of nuclear programs
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director for
Disarmament, Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, on February 3.

2. (C) Akhtar agreed with U.S. arguments that Iran has
failed to meet key international commitments, and asserted
that Pakistan does not want an additional nuclear-armed state
in the region. MFA agrees that multi-lateral next steps
should involve pressure from the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC).

3. (C) Akhtar stated that Pakistan abstained from voting to
apply sanctions in November 2009 because Iran is a neighbor
with common interests. However, he noted that Pakistan has
implored Iran to meet its obligations under UNSC resolutions,
and to pursue additional confidence-building measures toward
gaining international trust. Pakistan has "said things that
Iranians don't want to hear," Akhtar said, toward bringing
peaceful resolution to international concerns. He asserted
that Pakistan has refused commercial deals, including the
provision of hunting guns and the completion of a connecting
oil pipeline. Akhtar noted that Pakistan sought a waiver
from the UNSC before approaching Iranian banks under sanction
in order to reclaim textile-related payments. No other
bilateral transactions have been allowed, he said.

4. (C) Regarding the point that Iran has failed to support
an IAEA proposal for refueling the Tehran Research Reactor,
Akhtar also said that he understood that the proposal was
"not dead in the water." He believes that Iran is
interested, but concerned about proposed logistics for an
HEU-LEU swap.
PATTERSON