U.S. Suspects Arms Use for Iran Tunnels

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said Thursday that it suspects tunnels that Iran was recently discovered digging along its Persian Gulf coast are intended for use as long-range missile sites. But Iran denied that it is up to anything.

While citing the tunnels, Navy Cmdr. Joe March, a Pentagon spokesman, stressed that no weapons have been spotted and insisted that the Clinton administration has only “limited information” about what is going on.

But, he said, “any action which Iran takes to enhance its military capability is a concern to the U.S. and its allies in the region and elsewhere.”

In Iran, Tehran Radio said that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mahmoud Mohammadi had denounced the Pentagon report as “a simple-minded justification to sell advanced American arms to the Zionist regime [Israel].”

News of the discovery was first reported this week in Jane’s Defence Weekly, a magazine that follows defense issues closely.

Barbara Starr, a Washington correspondent for the weekly, quoted Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command, as being worried that the tunnels could be used to house long-range missiles and enhanced Scud missiles, like those used by Iraq during the Persian Gulf War. The Central Command has responsibility for U.S. military activities in the Middle East.

The report was confirmed by March, who said, “We have limited information about construction along Iran’s southwest coast, which may be used for storage or deployment facilities for missile or missile-related activity.

“At this point,” March added, “it [the tunneling] is not having an immediate effect on our activities in the region, but we will watch the developments closely to ensure that regional security and stability are maintained.” March would not say exactly where the tunnels are located or describe their length and depth.

The Pentagon did not say that Iran already possesses long-range missiles that could be fired from the tunnels. But, according to Jane’s, Iran failed in an attempt to buy missiles from North Korea several months ago because the two governments could not agree on the price.

As for the Scud missiles, Peay told the magazine that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq demonstrated the capability during the Gulf War of extending the range of Scud missiles and that it was possible that the technology could make its way to Iran.

The Pentagon is clearly concerned about Iran’s military intentions because it has recently acquired Russian submarines and Chinese anti-ship missiles.