VZCZCXRO7343
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMK #0600/01 1781514
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 271514Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6973
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000600 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2017 
TAGS: PREL ETTC EPET BA IR REGION
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DESCRIBES 
VISIT TO IRAN 
 
REF: MANAMA 0419 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Al 
Baharna told the Ambassador June 27 that his recent two-day 
visit to Iran was introductory and came about as a result of 
his late 2006 appointment as minister.  While in Tehran, he 
discussed next steps for a bilateral commission and the 
possibility of Bahrain purchasing Iranian natural gas. 
Although he characterized the discussion as a tactic to 
pressure Qatar to agree to provide gas to Bahrain, he 
emphasized that Bahrain's natural gas needs are "acute" and 
that Iran had indicated its willingness to sell gas.  The 
Ambassador warned of possible legal problems with the United 
States as a result of a potential deal.  Al Baharna reported 
that he had urged Iranian ForMin Mottaki to cooperate with 
the IAEA on its nuclear program, and said that Mottaki 
claimed to want to cooperate with the United States.  On 
atmospherics, Al Baharna said that Tehran seemed more relaxed 
than it was during a visit two years earlier.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) In a June 27 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister of 
State for Foreign Affairs Nezar Al Baharna said that his 
recent two-day visit to Tehran was introductory and occurred 
as a result of his appointment as minister in late 2006. 
While in Tehran, he focused on planning the next session of 
the Bahrain-Iran bilateral commission.  Despite some 
confusion on next steps, Al Baharna said the two sides had 
agreed to meet in Bahrain sometime around the end of the 
year.  The commission has subcommittees focusing on political 
and economic affairs, and his Iranian interlocutors expressed 
an interest in expanding trade arrangements between Iran and 
the GCC states. 
 
¶3.  (C) The Ambassador stated that press reports of the visit 
concentrated on discussions of the possible sale of Iranian 
natural gas to Bahrain.  He warned that such a deal could 
result in legal problems with the United States, and 
Bahrain's engagement with Iran comes at a time when the 
international community is tightening the screws on Iran to 
try to improve its behavior.  Al Baharna said that during 
Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs Abdul Hussein Ali Mirza's 
visit to Iran in the early spring (reftel), the two sides had 
discussed forming a committee on natural gas.  The Iranians 
have appointed their representatives and Bahrain now must do 
the same. 
 
¶4.  (C) Al Baharna said Bahrain has three options for sources 
of natural gas:  Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.  The GOB is 
still talking to Qatar, but the Qataris have overcommitted 
their production and have told Bahrain that they will revisit 
the question in 2009 for later delivery, possibly in 2012. 
Bahrain would prefer to purchase gas from a source "in our 
area," meaning Qatar or Saudi Arabia, but it has to explore 
its options.  Iran had indicated its willingness to sell gas. 
 Al Baharna said that, off-the-record, the discussions with 
Iran are a tactic to apply pressure on Qatar, and he hoped 
talks with Qatar are successful.  But, he said, Bahrain is in 
an acute position, with power generation, water desalination, 
and industry all relying upon the supply of natural gas.  In 
five to six years, there will be a major crisis in the region 
due to a natural gas shortage, with prices jumping up.  He 
noted that Oman and Iran the previous day had signed an 
agreement for the export of Iranian gas. 
 
¶5.  (C) In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki, 
Al Baharna said that he had raised Iran's nuclear program and 
Iraq.  He urged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA to build 
confidence with the international community.  Mottaki claimed 
that Iran was working with the IAEA and had invited its 
inspectors to visit the country.  Al Baharna responded that 
the dispute must be settled diplomatically and politically. 
On Iraq, Mottaki said that Iran fully supports the Maliki 
government, stressing that Iran wants stability in Iraq. 
Mottaki claimed that Iran wants to cooperate with the United 
States, but the U.S. refuses to cooperate with Iran.  He 
blamed it on "American pride," saying the U.S. does not 
really want to work with Iran.  Al Baharna said he paid a 
courtesy call on first vice president Dawoodi and although he 
had wanted to see Larijani, he did not. 
 
¶6.  (C) The Ambassador noted recent press reports describing 
a crackdown on liberties in Iran.  Al Baharna said that this 
was not the impression he had from his trip to Tehran. 
Compared with his last visit there two years earlier, he said 
that people seemed to be more relaxed, commenting that he saw 
women in public in an upscale part of town with their hair 
uncovered.  Restaurants were very busy, there was a lot of 
 
MANAMA 00000600  002 OF 002 
 
 
real estate development, and he noted that the quality of the 
construction appeared to have improved.  He visited a 
property that might become a new residence for the Bahraini 
ambassador, and he thought the finishing was very well done 
and the garden was "like something you would see in 
Switzerland." 
 
 
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MONROE