(S) IRANIAN DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN URUGUAY

S E C R E T MONTEVIDEO 000178 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR INR/I AND WHA/BSC NSC FOR DFISK E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2016 TAGS: PINR PREL UY SUBJECT: (S) IRANIAN DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN URUGUAY (C-NE6-00140) REF: STATE 26750 Classified By: Charge D'Affaires James D. Nealon for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S/NF) This telegram responds to action requests in paragraph 2 of reftel. ¶2. (S/NF) From the open source diplomatic list of officials at the Iranian Embassy in Montevideo: #¿NOMBRE? Spouse: Mrs. Fereshteh Faraji #¿NOMBRE? Spouse: Mrs. Seyedeh Fezeh Jafari (Hassani) #¿NOMBRE? Spouse: Mrs. Tayebeh Izadi (Moradi) #¿NOMBRE? Spouse: Mrs. Mahboubeh Sadat Vaghefi (Saheb Dadi) Diplomatic Activities and Level of Public Exposure -------------- -------------- ¶3. (S/NF) Iran maintains a small, four-person embassy in Uruguay. The embassy appears to be primarily dedicated to improving the growing commercial ties between Iran and Uruguay. Uruguay exports large (by its standards) quantities of rice and some ""halal"" meat products to Iran. Iranian diplomats attend diplomatic functions and third country national day celebrations at most embassies in Uruguay, although they have privately commented to U.S. diplomats that they are prohibited from direct contact with U.S. officials. ¶4. (S/NF) The Iranian Embassy was opened in Uruguay after the Iranian mission was closed and at least one diplomat was charged in the 1992 and 1994 attacks against the Israeli embassy and the Argentina-Israel Mutual Association (AMIA) in Buenos Aires. ¶5. (S/NF) The Iranian Embassy received some public scrutiny in October 2005 when Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad publicly announced that Israel should be ""wiped off the map."" Uruguayan news media reporters parked outside the Iranian Embassy for several days, although the Iranians did not issue a public statement. The local press criticized Ahmadi-Nejad's remarks, though the GOU's response mainly consisted of a relatively mild statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its website underscoring Israel's right to exist. ¶6. (S/NF) In early January 2006, the Iranian Embassy published a lengthy letter to the editor of the leading daily El Pais"" essentially rebutting a November 2005 article that had appeared in the newspaper. The ""El Pais"" article alleged that U.S., Argentine, and Uruguayan authorities in 2001 had linked former Iranian Ambassador to Argentina Kambiz Jalali to the 1994 AMIA bombing. ¶7. (S/NF) On February 20, 2006 President of Iran's Parliament, Gholmadi Haddad Adel visited Uruguay as part of a tour in the region. He met with the President, Vice-President, the acting Foreign Minister and members of the Senate's International Affairs Committee. The press reported that Adel tried to solicit support for Iran's peaceful"" nuclear program and deepen ties of amity and commerce. Adel also maintained that over the last 25 years Iran had purchased some $3 billion in Uruguayan rice. (Note: This does not jibe with our trade figures, some of which appear below. Embassy estimates that rice exports to Iran over the last 25 years were less than $800 million. End note.) Exports to Iran (in USD) Imports From Iran 2001 24,741,557 19,293,776 2002 38,768,359 174,300 2003 15,842,354 1,315 2004 52,195,390 114,918,002 2005 80,365,981 721,506 ¶8. (S/NF) Comment: Uruguay's relationship with Iran is mainly based on its exports of high-priced quality rice. We detect that the Vazquez government is keenly aware of U.S. sensitivities on Iran and is careful to avoid the perception that its relationship goes beyond the commercial. For instance, we have noticed that newspaper articles featuring Iran are often accompanied on the same page by some pro-U.S. piece. President Vazquez has supposedly agreed to visit Teheran, though no date has been set. We calculate that he is unlikely to make such a visit. End Comment. Nealon