SPAIN ON IRAN'S FLAWED ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 003005 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM IR SUBJECT: SPAIN ON IRAN'S FLAWED ELECTIONS REF: STATE 192971 Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The DCM discussed Iran's upcoming elections with MFA Director General for Foreign Policy Rafael Dezcallar on December 5. Reviewing reftel talking points, the DCM emphasized the U.S. objective of highlighting the profound flaws in the Iranian electoral process. ¶2. (C) Dezcallar said that Spain realizes that the democratic system in Iran is highly imperfect, and Spain laments the apparent shifting of influence from more moderate voices to the extremist positions of Khameini and Ahmedinejad. He said that Ahmedinejad was the driving force of a populist nationalism in Iran that promotes one-dimensional answers to the country's complex problems. ¶3. (C) However, Dezcallar underlined that Spain does not consider Iran a totalitarian society, though he conceded that it is an authoritarian regime. He said that Iran is in reality more open than its exterior of Islamic theocracy suggests. Spain feels that a small amount of political space exists for moderate voices, and Dezcallar said that Spain will continue to work with the EU to try to create more space for moderates in Iran. ¶4. (C) Dezcallar said that Spain would take note of the U.S. position. He added that, while Spain understands U.S. apprehension toward Iran and would not presume to tell the U.S. how to conduct foreign policy, Spain would view direct contact between Tehran and Washington at some future point as a POSITIVE development. -------------- Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/ -------------- Llorens