US embassy cable - 05PARIS5214

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2015 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, KNNP, FR 
SUBJECT: RESPONSES TO EU-3 REQUESTS - FRANCE 
 
REF: STATE 139032 
 
Classified By: Karl Hofmann, DCM Paris, e.o. 12958 reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1.  (C)  During introductory calls July 28, incoming and 
outgoing DCMs provided reftel response to the EU-3's July 20 
questions regarding the proposal to Iran to MFA Political 
Director Laboulaye.  Laboulaye already had received substance 
from the French embassy in Washington.  He commented only 
that the EU-3 might require some explicit USG assurances 
regarding potential actions against private companies the 
EU-3 might encourage to cooperate with Iran in the context of 
an eventual deal. 
 
2.  (C)  Laboulaye said in any case that he expected the 
Iranian dossier to reach a "crisis point" in the near future. 
 The EU-3 intend to send a letter to the Iranians before 
August 1, the date by which Laboulaye believes the current 
Iranian government will seek to break off the EU talks, 
stating simply that a proposal will be forthcoming and 
providing no pretext for a break.  Then, after the new 
Iranian president is inaugurated August 3, Laboulaye said the 
20-plus page EU proposal will be delivered.  The EU proposal 
will be unattractive from the Iranian perspective, he said. 
Whether the EU-3 can convince the new Iranian government to 
stay engaged as a step toward greater international 
legitimacy is unclear, but Laboulaye seemed pessimistic. 
 
3.  (C)  After the EU proposal is delivered, in the event the 
Iranians reject it and end their suspension of reprocessing, 
Laboulaye envisioned first an EU appeal to Tehran to reverse 
course, then seeking an emergency IAEA BOG meeting to urge 
the same, and then a subsequent IAEA BOG to act and refer the 
matter to the UNSC, all prior to mid-September.  He lamented 
that this scenario would put the Iran matter before the UNSC 
at a terrible time, given the September High Level Event and 
the debate on UN reform.  Laboulaye stressed that we would 
need to maintain close contact on the Iran dossier in the 
coming weeks. 
STAPLETON