BRIEF ON IRAN
No. 625
Tuesday, April 1, 1997
	
Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
Washington, DC


Report: Russian Missile Deal with Iran, United Press International, March 31

	JERUSALEM - A published report says Russia has signed a deal to supply Iran
with intermediate range ballistic missile technology, but is willing to call
off the deal if Israel can find an alternative arrangement as compensation.
	The respected Ha'aretz newspaper says Russian President Boris Yeltsin
admitted the deal in a meeting earlier this month with Israeli Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
	The report says Israeli government sources said Russia plans to sell Iran
the technology for the SS-4 missile, which would be in violation of
international accords on such missiles.
	The SS-4 has a range of 1,600 miles (2,600km), double the range of the
North Korean supplied Scud-C missile currently in its inventory, and would
thus give Iran the ability to hit both Israel and American targets in the
Arabian Peninsula.
	The approach by Yeltsin to arrange an alternative source of income appeared
similar to a message sent by North Korea to Israel several years ago that it
would cancel a planned deal with Iran in exchange for suitable compensation
from Israel....


Germany Turns its Economic Attention Away from Iran, Pezhvak (Swedish
National Radio-Farsi Service), March 25

	Germany's Minister of Economy is visiting Dubai for negotiation with
officials of United Arab Emirates.  Yesterday he announced that from now on,
the attention of German industries, which traditionally has been focused on
Iran, will concentrate on Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf states.
	Germany, considered Iran's biggest trade partner, has began new initiatives
to find other partners in the region, especially after recent events
resulting from the process of Mikonos trial. 


Saudi Warns Pilgrims to Avoid Politics, Reuter, March 30

	DUBAI - As thousands of Moslem pilgrims arrived by land, sea and air Saudi
Arabia on Sunday renewed warnings to them to abide by its laws banning
political activities....
	The warnings are seen as directed at Iranian pilgrims, whose government
says Moslems have the right to air their political grievances during the
pilgrimage, mainly through rallies against Israel and the United States.
Saudi Arabia says the haj is a purely religious affair and should not be
politicized....


Despite U.S. Efforts, Turkey Awards $118 Million Iran Gas Pipeline Contract,
Reuter, March 31

	ANKARA - Turkey's state-run pipeline company Botas said on Monday it had
awarded a $118 million contract to a Turkish consortium to build a section
of a natural gas pipeline link with Iran.
	"The Botas management board...from 14 firms decided upon the cheapest offer
made by Fernas-STFA ENERKOM for $117.556 million," Botas said in a statement.
	Turkey and Iran signed a $23 billion, 23-year gas supply contract last
August under which a pipeline is to be constructed from the Iranian town of
Tabriz to the Turkish capital Ankara...
	The United States has attempted to dissuade Turkey from going ahead with
the Iran deal and encouraged it to seek alternative energy supplies as part
of its efforts to isolate Iran....


Another Publication Banned:  This Time a Cultural Magazine, Radio Israel,
March 26

	Iranian cultural communities and organizations outside Iran have reported
new tough regulations by the Ministry of Culture and Guidance.  Among these
reports is the suspension of a cultural magazine published in Iran.
	The quarterly, Zendeh Roud (Live River), which is suspended, was a
cultural, literal, and historical publication of the [central] province of
Isfahan...
	The agents of Ministry of Information in cooperation with the Ministry of
Culture and Guidance informed the owner and editor of Zendeh Roud that they
are not allowed to print the publication any more.
	[No explanation for the suspension has been disclosed.]