US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5901

S E C R E T AMMAN 005901 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, IR, JO 
SUBJECT: KING ABDULLAH VISITS IRAN 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward Gnehm for reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
 1. (U) King Abdullah visited Tehran September 2-3 in what 
President Khatami termed &a significant turning point in 
relations.8 Local and regional media sources referred to the 
visit as &landmark8 and &a new chapter in bilateral 
relations.8 Accompanied by Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb 
and several other ministers, the King met with President 
Khatami, Supreme Leader Khamenei, and Foreign Minister 
Kharazi during the visit. It was the first visit to Iran by a 
Jordanian head-of-state since the fall of the Shah, though 
diplomatic ties were restored in 1991 and Abdullah and 
Khatami met previously on the margins of the Millenium 
Summitt in 2000. 
 
2. (U) According to public statements, the two sides 
discussed the situation in Iraq, and while generally positive 
on recent events, including the formation of the Iraqi 
cabinet, both sides expressed concern for the continued 
instability and human suffering there. They also discussed 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with King Abdullah 
highlighting Jordan,s efforts to reach a just and lasting 
peace and President Khatami noting Jordan,s "long history of 
struggle and suffering in defending the Palestinian cause." 
On bilateral relations, including Iranian offers of economic, 
scientific, educational and cultural cooperation, Khatami 
stated that "our rapprochement with Jordan will not be at the 
expense of any other party." 
 
3. (C) Subsequent to the visit, Ali al-Ayed, Director of 
Foreign Minister Muasher's Private Office, told PolOff that 
Iran had proposed to Jordan "a security agreement like the 
ones it has with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia." Ayed said the 
government would "send the proposal to a technical team" for 
further study. 
 
4. (S/NF) In a September 8 meeting with the Ambassador, the 
King stated that he did not like or trust the Iranians, but 
he wanted to "test the waters." He thought common ground 
could be found in battling Sunni terrorists like al-Qaeda. 
He met with a senior MOIS official, Younissi, who explicitly 
said this was an area of mutual interest with Jordan and the 
U.S.  The King also asserted that the Iranians are 
"terrified" at the idea of the breakup of Iraq. The Iranians 
made it clear that Jordanian cooperation on MEK would be an 
important element for closer cooperation on other terrorist 
elements. 
 
5. (S) COMMENT: Given King Hussein's close friendship with 
the Shah, it is not surprising that no Jordanian monarch has 
visited Iran since the 1970s. Over the past couple of years, 
however, the Iranians have pressed for a royal visit. The 
Jordanians had previously sent the Foreign Minister and 
intelligence chief to break the ice. 
 
6. (S/NF) Especially after the arrest of three Hezbollahis 
smuggling rockets from Syria into Jordan in 2001, probably 
for use in the West Bank, the GOJ has been hesitant to engage 
Iran in a high profile manner. However, the possibility of 
gaining information on al-Qaeda members in Iran, and other 
possible inducements, convinced King Abdullah to break the 
quarter century chill in relations. END COMMENT. 
HALE