The World - News from March 9, 1989

Iran, with help from China, is building a plant to produce surface-to-surface missiles with a range of more than 500 miles, according to Western diplomatic sources. Little is known about the plant, which is in northeastern Iran, the sources said. A year ago, Iran said it was building its own version of a “foreign missile.” It has not given details, but Western experts say it would be relatively simple for the Iranians to copy Soviet-designed Scud-B rockets acquired from Syria or Libya. Although Iran and China deny any arms deals, U.S. and other Western officials say China has been a principal supplier of weapons for the regime of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.