SPANISH MFA OFFICIALS REACT TO DEMARCHE ON IRAN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 000959 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/RA: RISA MONGIELLO E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018 TAGS: FCS FAS MGT EXEC MIL SP SUBJECT: SPANISH MFA OFFICIALS REACT TO DEMARCHE ON IRAN'S PROSPECTIVE URANIUM ACQUISITION REF: SECSTATE 91530 Classified By: DCM Arnold Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) PolOff held an introductory meeting with Gonzalo de Salazar, the former DCM in Warsaw who is two weeks into his job as the MFA's new Deputy DG for Non-Proliferation & Disarmament. His aide, Carlos Torres Vidal, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, sat in on the meeting. PolOff delivered points and gave a copy of REFTEL's non-paper on preventing Iran's acquisition of new supplies of uranium. The Spaniards acknowledged that Spain sells combustible uranium, but asserted that it does so in a "very transparent fashion" and the two diplomats could not envision a Spanish company selling uranium to Iran. ¶2. (C) Salazar and Vidal noted that the non-paper did not include any specific indication regarding where Iran may try to procure the uranium, which prompted them to remark that two key countries that came to mind for them were Colombia and Argentina. They noted that there are deposits of uranium underneath the jungle floor in areas of Colombia controlled by the FARC and that Bogota would have no real control over a prospective FARC attempt to sell uranium to Iran. The Spaniards said that they would be in touch with the Colombians about this matter. The two Spanish diplomats also opined that Argentina--which also sells uranium--has "very deep relations" with Iran, in their view. Aguirre