"There are reports that Venezuela supplies Iran with uranium for its
nuclear program," the intelligence assessment, included in a Foreign
Ministry report, said. "Bolivia also supplies uranium to Iran."
Over the last two years, Venezuela has become a strategic ally of
Teheran. Bolivia has denied any uranium exports to Iran.
The Israeli intelligence assessment said Iran has sought secret nuclear
suppliers to avoid dependency on Russia. Moscow has been the prime
contractor of Teheran's first nuclear reactor, and in late 2007 began
nuclear fuel shipments to Iran under the supervision of the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
"Since [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad's rise to power, Teheran has been promoting
an aggressive policy aimed at bolstering its ties with Latin American
countries with the declared goal of 'bringing America to its knees,'" the
three-page Foreign Ministry report said.
The sources said Boliva and Venezuela, encouraged by
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, were the most likely allies of
Teheran's nuclear program. The sources said both South American states,
regarded as anti-American, have increased their cooperation with Iran on
military and security issues.
The Foreign Ministry report, which was leaked to the Israeli and foreign
media, marked the first time that South American states were cited as
helping Iran's nuclear program.
In June 2009, Israel plans to lobby South American states against
cooperation with Iran. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his
deputy, Danny Ayalon, were scheduled to make separate trips to South America
over the next few weeks.
