(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