ITALY ALERT TO IRANIAN EFFORTS TO PROCURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000744

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/CPI CAROLINE RUSSELL
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/RA RICHARD NEPHEW

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2023
TAGS: KNNP TRGY PREL PARM MNUC AORC IAEA UNSC IR IT
SUBJECT: ITALY ALERT TO IRANIAN EFFORTS TO PROCURE
TECHNOLOGY FOR IR-2 CENTRIFUGE PROGRAM

REF: A. SECSTATE 52030

B. ROME 197

Classified By: Economic Counselor William Meara for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Econoff delivered Ref A points on critical equipment
needs for Iran's IR-2 centrifuge design to Roberto Liotto,
the Italian MFA official responsible for export controls and
Italian participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on
May 22. Liotto said he would pass the nonpaper to the GOI
interagency committee responsible for adjudicating export
license applications, the Italian Customs Service, and the
Intelligence Community. Liotto said the GOI is subjecting
license applications for exports to the Gulf region to higher
scrutiny, and said all license applications for "sensitive
technologies" such as those listed in the NSG Annexes are
being referred to an inter-agency group for additional review.


2. (C) Liotto argued that insofar as Iran is concerned,
Italian and EU export control regulations have stayed one
step ahead of UN Security Council Resolutions. Under current
EU and Italian regulations, the export to Iran of goods
listed in the NSG Annexes is prohibited. "Sensitive" goods
not included in the NSG Annexes are subject to review on a
case-by-case basis. When Econoff drew Liotto's attention to
Ref A request that the export of sensitive goods to Iran be
handled with a "strong presumption of denial," Liotto noted
documentation for these exports is already subject to
additional scrutiny. He added that the GOI is denying an
increasing number applications to export goods not listed in
the NSG Annexes to the Middle East.
SPOGLI