VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #0100/01 0340935
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 030935Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7310
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR MILLER, PARIS FOR NOBLES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV SY IR
SUBJECT: WORRIED AT THE IRANIAN EMBASSY? DIPLOMATS REPORT 
CONCERN OVER SARG-US ENGAGEMENT 
 
REF: A. 09 DAMASCUS 880 
     ¶B. 09 DAMASCUS 884 
     ¶C. DAMASCUS 41 
 
Classified By: CDA Charles Hunter For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Syria-based diplomats report that the Iranian 
Embassy in Damascus is concerned about the SARG's increased 
engagement with the United States and moderate regional 
states like Saudi Arabia and Turkey.  After three American 
delegations met with President Bashar al-Asad and visiting 
American delegations, our contacts said generally 
tight-lipped diplomats stationed at the Iranian Embassy had 
expressed displeasure over the increasing frequency of USG 
visits to Damascus while warning their diplomatic 
counterparts the U.S. was attempting to divide Iran from its 
Syrian allies.  Arab diplomats also provided us additional 
details regarding conversations between Iranian Foreign 
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and SARG officials during his 
January 11 visit to Syria that highlight potential policy 
differences between Tehran and Damascus.  END SUMMARY. 
 
IRANIAN CONCERN ABOUT AMERICAN ENGAGEMENT 
 
¶2. (C) Following a string of visits by Iranian officials to 
Damascus the past two months, Arab diplomats told us the 
Iranian visits reflected growing insecurity in Tehran over 
whether Syria's engagement with moderate states like Turkey 
and Saudi Arabia would reduce Iran's influence with the SARG 
(reftels).  Diplomats at a range of regional embassies agreed 
that continued U.S.-SARG engagement threatened Iranian 
interests in Syria, and the Tehran regime was reacting with 
displeasure.  "The Iranians are watching closely to see if 
America is making a move on its relations with Syria," 
Algerian DCM Amor Fritah said. 
 
¶3. (C) After three meetings took place in three weeks between 
American delegations (Codel Gregg, Codel Hastings, and SEMEP 
Mitchell) and President Asad from late December to 
mid-January, Iranian diplomats stationed in Damascus have 
expressed concern over the increasing frequency of USG visits 
to Damascus, according to our contacts.  Turkish First 
Secretary Ali Bozcaliskan said the Iranian ambassador visited 
the Turkish Embassy on January 24 and complained that "the 
Americans are trying to divide us in the region - the 
Iranians, Syrians, and Turks."  The Iranian ambassador 
reportedly urged a joint Turkish-Iranian-Syrian position on 
regional issues, which the Turkish ambassador politely 
declined.  "We are not interested in regional groupings right 
now; we are interested more in developing better bilateral 
relations between different countries," Bozcaliskan explained. 
 
¶4. (C) Calling the Iranian reaction a logical response to 
SARG engagement with the U.S., Arab diplomats at several 
missions subsequently confirmed reports that working-level 
Iranian diplomats in Damascus were unhappy with the prospects 
of better SARG-U.S. relations.  Emirati and Kuwaiti diplomats 
related that while their embassies do not maintain close 
contact with the Iranian embassy, Syrian friends of Iranian 
diplomats had repeated statements reportedly made by the 
Iranians warning of "American intervention" in the 
Syrian-Iranian relationship. 
 
¶5. (C) Emirati DCM Khalifa Abdul Rahman al-Marzouqi said Arab 
diplomats had been asked by their Iranian counterparts 
whether American visitors raised the Iranian-Syrian 
relationship during their meetings with Syrian officials. 
Abdul Rahman noted, however, that the Iranian embassy is 
"closed and difficult to communicate with."  Arab diplomats 
said they hoped to use the large celebration next week 
commemorating the anniversary of the Iranian revolution to 
learn more about Iranians' views on the current state of 
Syrian-Iranian relations. 
 
ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING MOTTAKI VISIT 
 
¶6. (C) Jordanian First Secretary Hisham Saadoun and Second 
Secretary Sinaan al-Majali told us February 3 that Syrian 
contacts reported tension between Iranian Foreign Minister 
Mottaki's delegation and their Syrian hosts during Mottaki's 
January 11 visit to Damascus (ref. C).  The Jordanian 
diplomats said the Syrians had "frankly" raised concerns they 
had with Tehran's policies in the Arab world.  "There is a 
bit of a gulf between them these days," Majali opined. 
 
¶7. (C) The Syrians reportedly complained about Tehran's 
support for dissident Shi'a groups in the eastern province of 
Saudi Arabia, stating that such actions made it difficult for 
Damascus to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran.  The Syrians 
also allegedly objected directly to Tehran's stance on the 
 
Houthi rebellion in Yemen and reiterated Damascus' support 
for the Yemeni government.  Finally, Syrian contacts told 
their Jordanian counterparts SARG officials expressed concern 
to Mottaki about Iran's agenda in Iraq.  "They complained 
about Iran's lack of transparency about what they are doing 
in Iraq," Majali related.  The Jordanian diplomats concluded 
the reports provide more evidence that there are potential 
cracks developing in the Damascus-Tehran alliance. 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT: It is not surprising that Iranian diplomats 
would react negatively to increased U.S. engagement with the 
SARG or interpret it as an American effort to divide Iran 
from its main ally in the region.  In light of these 
perceptions and the reported disagreements between Tehran and 
Damascus on issues such as Yemen and Iraq, Iran may be warily 
monitoring Syria's engagement with moderate players in the 
region for any further evidence to bear out its suspicions. 
After more than 30 years of close relations between the two 
regimes, it remains unlikely in the near term Syria will 
forsake its relations with Iran.  But as Damascus seeks 
additional strategic options through warming relations with 
neighbors like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, U.S.-Syrian 
engagement may only add to Iranian concerns that additional 
options for Damascus may mean a lessening of the latter's 
reliance on Tehran.  END COMMENT. 
 
HUNTER