SPAIN/IRAN: MFA READOUT OF IRANIAN FM VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001558 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016 TAGS: PREL EUN IR SP SUBJECT: SPAIN/IRAN: MFA READOUT OF IRANIAN FM VISIT Classified By: Political Counselor Kathy Fitzpatrick; reason 1.4 (B) an d (D). ¶1. (C) MFA Subdirector General for Middle East Affairs Alberto Moreno contacted POLOFF on June 15 to respond to the Embassy's request for a readout of the June 14 visit to Madrid of Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. (NOTE: Originally, Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani was scheduled to visit Madrid, but he dropped out citing health issues and FM Mottaki came in his place. END NOTE). Mottaki met with Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos in a brief trip before proceeding to China for discussions there. Moreno said that the meeting was cordial and that the tone was positive throughout, with Mottaki leaving a clear impression that Iran was giving serious consideration to the 5 1 offer of incentives and disincentives. ¶2. (C) Moreno said that Mottaki's discussion of the issue indicated a lack of consensus within the Iranian regime as to how to respond to the package of incentives/disincentives. Mottaki said, however, that the Iranian Government would respond "soon" to Javier Solana and other interlocutors. Moreno said that the uranium enrichment issue was obviously the stumbling block for the Iranians and suggested that their internal debate is probably centered around what counter-proposal it should submit to the 5 1 on this point. In Moreno's view, the most important element of the meeting was the fact that the Iranians in no way conveyed any sense of having rejected the incentives/disincentives. ¶3. (C) Turning to the situation in Iraq, Moreno said that Mottaki had underscored support for the new government, but also called for the announcement of a timeline for the withdrawal of Coalition forces. Regarding the disorder in the Palestinian Territories, Moreno said FM Moratinos pressed Mottaki to leverage Iran's influence with Hamas to get Hamas to accept the conditions for engagement by the international community. Mottaki pushed back, saying the international community should accept the results of the Palestinian elections, which were brought about by Fatah's failures in leadership. //MOTTAKI'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS TRACK WITH MFA READOUT// ¶4. (U) In an interview in "El Pais," Spain's leading daily, Mottaki said that Iran was closely reviewing the 5 1 proposals. He said the package of incentives "is a step forward, but it is necessary to work to reach a solution that would guarantee the right of a country to develop (nuclear energy) while overcoming concerns that this generates in other countries." (Embassy e-mailed a translation of the El Pais article to EUR/WE). Speaking for Spain, Moratinos said the 5 1 offered a unique, one-time opportunity to resolve the crisis, highlighting U.S., Russian, and Chinese support for the proposals. The MFA reiterated its support for the 5 1 proposals in a public statement issued to the media and posted on its website (the text of the MFA statement was transmitted to EUR/WE on June 15). AGUIRRE