BRIEF  ON  IRAN
No. 274
Tuesday, October 17, 1995

Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
3421 M Street NW #1032
Washington, DC 20007


Iran Says Mass Producing Electronic Weapon, Reuters, October 16

        TEHRAN - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said
on Monday Tehran was secretly mass producing an unspecified
advanced equipment used in electronic warfare, state-run Tehran
radio reported.
        "Today, one of the most advanced military equipments...is
produced in a massive way in factories belonging to the
(Revolutionary) Guards," Khamenei was quoted by the radio as
saying....
        The radio said Khamenei was referring to achievements in
electronic warfare by the Revolutionary Guards during a speech to
Guards commanders in the Caspian coast city of Sari.
        Iran has a relatively large military industry set up mainly
during its 1980-1988 war with Iraq to copy weapon components
that could not be easily obtained because of a Western arms
embargo and to design and build new weapons.


Iran: China's Nuclear Arms Bazaar, The Washington Times, October
16

[The following is excerpts from the article by Representative Tilli K.
Fowler (R-Fla.)]

        Recent headlines about China's significant role in weapons
proliferation throughout the world have cast some light on an issue
in serious need of illumination....
        The Chinese government is engaged in an ambitious export
program of cruise missiles to Iran and small ballistic missiles to
Pakistan, and both countries will probably receive whatever long
range cruise missile systems China may develop in the near future.
Due to lax export controls on our part, a significant portion of China's
cruise missile development program incorporates production
technology and possibly navy which will give them greater naval
force projection - and make them more of a direct threat to U.S.
national security interests and those of our East Asian allies.
        The Chinese government is also providing raw materials for
chemical weapons production to Iran and possibly to other rouge
countries, and continues to aid Pakistan in its nuclear weapons
development program.  In addition, it is assisting Iran in its civilian
nuclear development program, which, with very little technology
improvement, can be modified to make nuclear weapons.
        Just this year, China provided Iran with technology which
enables that nation to produce enriched uranium, a significant step
toward producing nuclear bombs.  China's recent suspension of a
deal to sell Iran two nuclear reactors seems to have been based
more on Iran's inability to pay than any fundamental change of
heart on the part of the Chinese....


Iran Offers Deals to Bulgarian Refinery to Evade Effects of Sanctions,
Reuters, October 16

        SOFIA - Bulgaria's biggest refinery, Neftohim at the Black Sea
port of Bourgas, will receive 1.5 million tones of crude oil from Iran
to process next year, the refinery's executive director said on
Monday....
        "The new deal we signed in Iran (last week) offers better
conditions than the previous deal with the NIOC," Nedelchev told
Reuters. He did not elaborate....
        Officials said that on Tuesday the World Environmental Centre
in New York would agree to give the refinery an analyzer made by
U.S. firm Softboro for recording carbon dioxide emissions in an
attempt to minimize the refinery's waste....


Mullahs' Terrorist Arms Act Again, Associated Press, October 16

        Syria has influence over -- but does not control -- Hezbollah, a
guerrilla group reportedly responsible for an attack in southern
Lebanon in which six Israeli soldiers were killed, the State
Department said Monday....
        The State Department, in its annual report "Patterns of Global
Terrorism," said in April that Syria permits Iran to resupply
Hezbollah through Damascus....
        Hezbollah, known also as Party of God, is dedicated to creating
an
Iranian-style Islamic republic in Lebanon and is Iran's "main client,"
putting American diplomatic missions and personnel at risk, the
report said.
   The group receives "substantial amounts of financial, training,
weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic and organizational aid
from Iran," it said.
        Syria has strong ties with Iran, although they disagree
somewhat on their approach to Israel. Syria opened negotiations
with Israel four years ago while Iran has not participated in
peacemaking efforts in the region....