Early Bush headache: Long-range Iranian missile

NICOSIA — A Russian delegation's visit to Teheran to discuss technology aid has U.S. security experts talking about an early challenge for the incoming Bush administration: The prospect of a long-range Iranian missile.

U.S. officials said Iran has increased its reliance on Russian technology for Teheran's missile development program. They said China and North Korea have become marginal suppliers in Teheran's effort to produce its Shihab series of intermediate- and long-range missiles. Beijing has pledged to slow down its missile export program.

"It may slow down some aspects of the Iranian missile program, but the continuation toward achievement of Shihab-3, 4 and 5 is still very much on track thanks to the Russians," U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Richard Roth said.

The result, said Geoffrey Kemp, a senior aide on Middle East policy in the Reagan administration, is that Iran will acquire long-range missiles. Kemp said he also expected China to resume missile sales to Teheran, Middle East Newsline reports.

"We're going to have to live with them," Kemp said. "U.S.-China relations are going to be red button issue for the coming administration, and China has growing interests and energy needs from the Middle East. So this is a sleeper issue that we should bear in mind for the future."

Meanwhile, Iran and Russia are quietly discussing what sensitive technologies Teheran will receive from Moscow over the next year.

Officials from both countries began their meeting in Teheran on Tuesday. The Russian delegation is led by Yuri Kapralov, director of the security and disarmament department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The export control group meets annually. The last meeting was in 1999 in Moscow.

Western diplomatic sources monitoring the meeting said Iran has been requesting technology that can be used for nuclear weapons. They said Teheran has also requested technology for such major weapons as aircraft and tank production.

Iranian officials said the two countries agreed that their cooperation would not violate international nonproliferation accords. The two countries expressed support for a nuclear free zone in the Middle East.

"Iran's initiative in producing missiles within framework of the UN General Assembly ratification and Russia's proposal for the universal missile control system were among other topics discussed at the meeting," the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.

Russia is being pressured by the United States to restrict weapons technology to Iran. U.S. and Russian military chiefs met in Moscow this week to discuss the issue and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will meet later this month on the same issue.