S23B-05: GOI IN RECEIPT OF INFORMATION CONCERNING

S E C R E T ROME 000237 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2036 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IT IR CBW SUBJECT: S23B-05: GOI IN RECEIPT OF INFORMATION CONCERNING IRANIAN INTEREST IN AG-CONTROLLED TOXINS REF: STATE 9468 Classified By: Acting EcMin Richard Boly for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S) Econoff delivered reftel nonpaper January 23 to Enrico Padula, the MFA official responsible for Australia Group issues. Padula shares our concern over attempts by Mahamood Tavallaie to obtain research assistance regarding the clostridium botulinum toxin and attempts by other Iranian researchers to obtain assistance related to the Shiga Toxin. Padula said he will ensure the information in reftel nonpaper is passed to the relevant authorities in the MFA and that Tavallaie is added to the GOI's visa lookout systems. ¶2. (U) Padula sits on the advisory panel to the GOI's export-licensing office. In this capacity, he is well-placed monitor export license applications which may be related to the research described reftel. SPOGLI