SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS

S E C R E T MADRID 000191 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MCKNIGHT, ZERDECKI),NEA/FO (CATALANO),ISN/RA (NEPHEW, ALLEN-CLOSE, MONGIELLO), EUR/ERA (DEAN), DEPARTMENT PASS TO NSC (RYU, MAGSAMEN, HOLGATE, CONNERY, SAMORE, BRADLEY) FOR USUNVIE/IAEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2025 TAGS: MTCRE PARM PREL ETTC MNUC TSPA SP SY IR KNNP SUBJECT: SPAIN: IRAN'S 20 PERCENT ENRICHMENT PLAN IS "GAME-CHANGER" REF: SECSTATE 10111 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold A. Chacon for reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d) ¶1. (C) During a wide-ranging discussion with Post officials, the senior nuclear expert at the Spanish MFA on February 10 expressed considerable unease with Iranian President Amadinejad's early February announcement that Tehran would begin to enrich uranium to 20 percent. Carlos Torres, Counselor for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament within the MFA's DG for Strategic Affairs and Terrorism, POLOFF and Deputy ECONCOUNS, said that, with Ahmadinejad's announcement, Iran "has crossed the line." Speaking from a technical perspective, he argued that making the political decision to pursue enrichment up to 20 percent is a "game-changer," that the Iranian nuclear program's capabilities will proceed at an "exponential rate," and now "it is just a question of time" until Iran is capable of making nuclear weapons. Torres suggested that Iran's gradual path to becoming a nuclear power is similar to what happened in India and Pakistan. He asserted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the real power behind Ahmadinejad and suggested there are no limits to what the IRGC will try. Concluding his thoughts on the subject, Torres said the situation in Iran "doesn't look good" and asked Embassy officials to tell Washington, "We (the Spanish MFA) understand perfectly well what's going on in Iran." ¶2. (S) On a separate subject, Torres received the Ref demarche on the Spanish firm Coll Vilaro's business dealings with the Syrian firm Business Lab. He indicated he would share the information with the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce and would provide Post an answer after the Government of Spain had looked into the matter. CHACON