MTAG 5-96: FOLLOW-UP ON AUSTRIAN FIRM'S OFFER TO

S E C R E T VIENNA 003464

SIPDIS

FOR ISN/MTR, EUR/AGS, AND EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2015

TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC ETTC AU MTCRE
SUBJECT: MTAG 5-96: FOLLOW-UP ON AUSTRIAN FIRM'S OFFER TO

SELL GRAPHITE TO IRANIAN MISSILE PROGRAM (S)

REF: A) VIENNA 3325 B) STATE 185786

Classified By: Economic-Political Counselor Gregory E. Phillips for

reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (S/NF) PolUnit Chief and EconUnit Chief followed up

recently with Helmut Krehlik, Head of the Ministry of

Economy's Export and Import Control Division, and Margit

Bruck-Friedrich, Head of the MFA's Export Control Division,

to discuss the Daniel Frosch Export (DFE) Industrial Spare

Parts company's offer to sell graphite cylinders to an

Iranian missile organization subordinate to Iran's Aerospace

Industries Organization. Krehlik said that Austrian

authorities had stopped the shipment at the Graz Airport.

Customs officials were now investigating this shipment, as

well as various other shipments over the last two years, to

ascertain whether or not DFE Industrial Spare Parts needed

licenses for the shipments. Krehlik noted that some of the

items, which authorities had seized in the recent action were

of U.S. origin. Krehlik thanked the USG for ref B

information, adding that collaborative and extremely detailed

information from HMG and Israeli officials had also

contributed to the GoA's success in stopping the Graz

shipment.

van Voorst