BRIEF ON IRAN Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran No. 376 Monday, March 25, 1996 3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007 Europe Divided on Relations with Iran, The Guardian, March 23 Sharp divisions are emerging within the European Union about how to deal with Iran as the United States urges tougher action against Tehran's support for Islamist terrorism in the Middle East. Washington is encouraging moves to shore up the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, badly shaken by suicide bombings. But EU plans to send senior officials to Tehran have yet to be finalized and there is no sign that their mission will elicit the unequivocal condemnation of terrorism demanded by the US.... The US and Britain insist that Iran is closely linked to Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the Palestinian groups involved in the bombings - though sensitivity about intelligence sources and methods means nothing has been made public.... Diplomats say that smaller members such as Denmark, Luxembourg and Finland favor abandoning the critical dialogue if it fails to produce changes in Iranian behavior. France and Italy want to maintain it. So does Germany-Iran's largest trading partner.... Britain is in the middle. Malcolm Rifkind, the Foreign Secretary, said after Iran's comments on the suicide bombings that he doubted the value of the critical dialogue, but officials later steered back to a holding position. "The British argue that by maintaining a centrist profile they preserve their ability to moderate the behavior of the other Europeans," one diplomat said.... Washington hopes to narrow the transatlantic gap after the display of solidarity at the last week's "summit of peacemakers" in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al- Sheikh. "The Iranians are trying to drive wedges between us and the Europeans," a US source said. "We don't think the differences are that great. We think the critical dialogue is the carrot. Iran just takes the carrot and eats it. Unless you have a stick you are not going to get anywhere." New measures to coordinate the anti-terrorism action recommended at the Egyptian summit will be discussed next week in Washington.... Further moves against Tehran are expected at the forthcoming session of the EU-US-Canada forum on Iran. Peres Assails Iran, Reuters, March 23 JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Shimon Peres, assailing Iran for backing guerrilla attacks in Lebanon, has signaled Israel might refrain from launching a retaliatory assault for Hizbollah's latest suicide bombing.... Going on the verbal offensive against Hizbollah patron Iran, Peres told Israel Television: "As for Iran, we know that this is a government of murder and terror. We know the Iranians are using every possible route, including diplomatic mail, to smuggle arms and explosives. "We know that Iran applies pressure to strike at targets in Israel, and at Jewish and Israeli targets abroad."... More Torture in Iran, Radio Israel, March 23 Amnesty International issued a statement in London and expressed concern regarding the severe torture of a group of opposing clerics in the Iranian government's prison.... It said the tortures include electric shock and hanging the victim by his feet.... Tehran Threatens Bonn over Murder Warrant , The Associated Press, March 23 TEHRAN - Iran's chief justice has threatened the German government with unspecified retribution if it fails to revoke an arrest warrant for a top Iranian official.... German prosecutors believe Ali Fallahiyan sent agents to Berlin to carry out political assassinations. These agents are suspected in the Sept. 17, 1992, assassination of Sadiq Sharafkindi, head of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, and three other opposition figures.... Tehran's official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Jannati as telling worshipers [at a Friday prayer sermon in Tehran] that Iran "would have no way but retaliation if such a problem went unresolved." Without elaborating, he said Tehran had many options for hitting back.... The United States considers Iran a rogue state that sponsors international terrorism. Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres recently called Iran the "capital of terrorism."