This annotated chronology is based on the data sources that follow each entry. Public sources often provide conflicting information on classified military programs. In some cases we are unable to resolve these discrepancies, in others we have deliberately refrained from doing so to highlight the potential influence of false or misleading information as it appeared over time. In many cases, we are unable to independently verify claims. Hence in reviewing this chronology, readers should take into account the credibility of the sources employed here.

Inclusion in this chronology does not necessarily indicate that a particular development is of direct or indirect proliferation significance. Some entries provide international or domestic context for technological development and national policymaking. Moreover, some entries may refer to developments with positive consequences for nonproliferation.

Early 1987
The Chinese deliver more sophisticated PL7 missiles made after the French Matra Magic R-550. These missiles are long-range, air-to-air missiles and can hit targets at up to 10km. China also assists Iran in manufacturing a short-range, solid-fueled ballistic missile named Nazeat or Iran-130.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Cases of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 25.

1987
Iran launches 79 surface-to-surface missiles at Iraq; 18 of the missiles are Scuds.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

1987
In 1987, a special unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Bandar Abbas, Iran, under the command of Mohsen Rezai, began working on a project to extend the range of Chinese-supplied Silkworm missiles and to arm them with nuclear warheads.
— "Rafsanjani's Bomb," Mednews, 8 June 1992, pp. 1-5.

1987
Iran assembles the Scud-B missile kits, imported from North Korea in 1987 and 1988, in the facility of Isfahan.
—Bates Gill, "Chinese Arms Exports to Iran," MERIA Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, May 1998, <http://www.biu.ac.il>.

1987
Iran uses a mobile launcher to conduct the first test since 1987 of its North Korean Scud-Cs. Estimates indicate that Iran possesses about 100 North Korean Scuds.
—"Missile Proliferation Chronology," Arms Control Reporter, June 1991, p. 706.B.55-706.E.4.

1987
The extent of an arms procurement scheme is revealed: a small Swedish company, Scandinavian Commodity, organizes a way to ship explosives and equipment to Iran in contravention of sanctions. Karl-Erik Schmitz, managing director of Scandinavian Commodity, has been approached by Iranian officials and asked to supply a complete munitions factory. [Note: For more reported arms schemes this year, refer to the entry for September 1987.]
—"Insight: Exposed-how Tehran beat arms boycott," The Times (London), 4 October 1987; via Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1987
Iranian technicians alter the design of anti-tank rockets to meet the lack of imported launchers.
—Ann Tibbitts Schulz, Buying Security: Iran Under the Monarchy (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1989), p. 55.

1987
Production of the Oghab reaches a "satisfactory rate." A total of 70 Oghab rockets are launched since it was made operational in 1986. Nine were launched in 1986 and 61 this year. Between 6 December 1986 and 15 February 1987, Iran launches 53 Oghab rockets, mostly aimed at Basra and Khanaqin. The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps starts production of small artillery rockets with a short range. These are called the Katyusha, Nakhudsha, and mini-Katyusha. Supposedly before the Shah's regime fell, Iran was preparing to "reverse-engineer the rockets for the Soviet BM-21 122mm multiple-rocket launcher."
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., pp. 50, 63.

1987
North Korea helps Iran set up a "Scud Mod. B" assembly plant.
—Andrew Rathmell with contributions by James Bruce and Harold Hough, "Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction," Jane's Intelligence Review - Special Report No. 6, 1 June 1995, p. 20.

1987
Sources indicate that a Chinese-built missile assembly plant, which may have begun rocket production, is located 175km east of Tehran, near Semnan. It is supposedly capable of building 600-1,000 Oghab rockets per year if Iran can import key ingredients such as ammonium perchlorate for solid-fueled motors. The plant is also supposed to produce the Iran-130. Another plant that is reportedly being built near Bandar Abbas by the Chinese may be for the assembly of the Silkworm. China supposedly also helps the naval branch of the Guards modify the Silkworm to extend its range to 400km.
—Anthony H. Cordesman, Threats and Non-Threats from Iran (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 26 January 1995), p. 58.

1987
Hashemi-Rafsanjani, Iran's president, says that Iran's efforts to make its own missiles is part of its military power and that becoming an active arms dealer is one of Iran's goals.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., pp. 64-65.

1987
Iran begins producing Scud-B (Shahab-1) missiles domestically, with technical assistance from North Korea.
—"A Dangerous Race in a Multi-axial World: The Missiles Clubs in the Middle East: The Century of Mass Destruction," Al-Wasat (London), 30 August 1999; in "Mideast Missile Race Detailed," FBIS Document FTS19990903000290, 3 September 1999.

1987
The first flight of the Mushak-120 short-range ballistic missile takes place.
—Raytheon, "Strategic: Mushak 120," Missile Systems of the World, Raytheon, 1999, p. 456.

1987
China begins negotiating with Iran to sell short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), which are probably the M-9.
—"Iran," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 December 1992, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1987
North Korea sells Scud missiles to Iran.
—"North Korea demands the extradition of its two diplomats," Agence France Presse, 27 August 1997, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>. [CNS translation]

1987-1988
North Korea exports about 100 Scud missiles to Iran.
—Kim Chun Pŏm, "Pukhan'ŭi Haek-Missile Kisulsujun Ŏddŏn'ga," Joongang Ilbo, 19 March 1992, p. 6, in KINDS, <http://www.kinds.or.kr>.

1987-1992
North Korea exports an estimated 250 missiles and associated technology worth $580 million to Egypt, Iran, Libya and Syria. The Hwasong-5 (Scud-B) and Hwasong-6 (Scud-C) missiles cost between $1.5 and $2 million each.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, p. 20.

1987-1992
Iran purchases 200-300 Scud-B missiles from North Korea.
—Anthony H. Cordesman, Iran and Nuclear Weapons (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 7 February 2000), p. 35.

1987-1992
North Korea exports 250 missiles worth $580 million to countries in the Middle East, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
—Lim Yun-Suk, "US and N Korea to Hold Talks on Pyongyang's Missile Exports," Agence France Presse, 28 March 1999.

8 January 1987
Iran strikes the World Dawn with a Sea Killer ship-launched SSM during a night attack. The World Dawn flies a Panamanian flag and is hit off the coast of the United Arab Emirates while carrying oil from Kuwait bound for Italy.
—Bernard E. Trainor, "Iranian Warships Now Using Missiles for Night Attacks," New York Times, 20 January 1987, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 January 1987
The White House releases a memo outlining Israel's role in Iran's weapons procurement activities, which is included in the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's report on Iran that was written by Colonel Oliver North on 17 January 1986. [Note: For more information on the memo, see the entry for 17 January 1986.]
—Bernard Gwertzman, "Senate Report on Iran Arms Sales: Role of Israel is Highlighted," New York Times, 10 January 1987, p. 6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launches one Scud missile that lands on the outskirts of Baghdad at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time. Tehran radio claims that the missile struck Iraq's Air Force command headquarters, which Iraq denies. An Iraqi spokesman says the missile explodes in a residential area. This is the first time in more than six weeks that the Iranians fire one of their long-range missiles at the Iraqi capital. The IRGC ground forces also fire three short-range Oqab (Eagle) missiles at Basra in southern Iraq. [Note: The Oqab is the Iranian version of a Frog missile.]
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Michael Ross, "Air Strikes, Missiles Hit Iran, Iraq: Baghdad Struck; Troops Battle to Dislodge Invaders," Los Angeles Times, 12 January 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

12 January 1987
Iran strikes the Atlantic Dignity with a Sea Killer ship-launched SSM during a night attack. The Atlantic Dignity, flying a Liberian flag, was sailing off the coast of Oman while carrying oil from Kuwait bound for Italy.
—Bernard E. Trainor, "Iranian Warships Now Using Missiles for Night Attacks," New York Times, 20 January 1987, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

12 January 1987
Iraqi jets raid five Iranian cities and towns: Kashan, Qom, Esfahan, Borujerd, and Arak, and knock out a base for U.S.-made Hawk surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) near the Iranian border town of Khorramshahr.
—Michael Dobbs, "Fighting Intensifies in Gulf War; Iran Claims to Hold Recent Gains; Iraq Escalates Air Raids," Washington Post, 13 January 1987, p. A14, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps launch one Scud missile from Shalamcheh, an Iranian border outpost, at a trade center in Baghdad. Residents of the city report hearing two explosions. This is the second missile strike against Baghdad since Iran launched its new cross-border thrust east of the Iraqi city of Basra on 9 January 1987.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Reuters, "Iran, Iraq trade blows with missiles, jets as offensive rages on southern battle front," Toronto Star, 13 January 1987, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fire one Scud missile at the Iraqi prime minister's building in Baghdad around 12:30 p.m. The surface-to-surface missile attack is the third to hit the city in four days.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Reuters, "Iran launches third missile into Baghdad as battle rages," Toronto Star, 14 January 1987, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 January 1987
U.S. intelligence officials say that Iran hits the Saudiah, a vessel flying a Kuwaiti flag, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates while carrying oil from Kuwait to Pakistan. A Sea Killer ship-launched SSM strikes the Saudiah during a night attack.
—Bernard E. Trainor, "Iranian Warships Now Using Missiles for Night Attacks," The New York Times, 20 January 1987, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

15-16 January 1987
Iran's ground forces fire seven Oqab (Eagle) missiles within 48 hours at Basra, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

16 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fires an unknown missile at a military installation in Abu al-Khasib, Iraq at 1:20 p.m. The IRGC also fired one Scud at the Iraqi War Ministry in Baghdad.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

17 January 1987
Iran fires three Oqab (Eagle) missiles at Khanaqin, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

18 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fires two "mid-range" missiles at Iraqi troops and fortifications in the "Karbala-5 Operational Region." Iran also fires two Oqab (Eagle) missiles at 7:00 and 7:15 a.m. at Basra, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

19 January 1987
Iran fires seven "medium-range" missiles at Basra and Khanaqin, Iraq at 11:15 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

20 January 1987
Iran fires a long-range missile into Baghdad. Iraq's official Baghdad Radio says the missile hit a "residential area of Baghdad." The Iranian news agency IRNA says that the missile was aimed at the headquarters of Iraq's Baath party. The headquarters are adjacent to Saddam Husayn's presidential palace. IRNA also reports that the missile attack, the fifth attack on Baghdad in 10 days, is in retaliation for Iraqi air raids on civilian targets in several Iranian cities.
—AP, Reuters, "Toxic gas engulfs Iraqi city Iran says," Toronto Star, 20 January 1987, p. A8, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

20 January 1987
The surface-to-surface missile that strikes Baghdad is believed to be a Soviet-made Scud-B.
—Reuters, "Iran Fires Missile at Baghdad, Reports Advance Toward Basra," Los Angeles Times, 21 January 1987, p. 8, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

20 January 1987
U.S. intelligence officials say Iranian warships in the Persian Gulf are using Italian-made Sea Killer missiles against oil tankers in night attacks for the first time. Iranian frigates based at Bandar-e Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz carry the missiles. The Sea Killer is a ship-launched, surface-to-surface missile about one meter long with a high-explosive warhead. U.S. intelligence officials say that since 1984, more than 200 vessels have been hit and either sunk or damaged by Iranian Sea Killer missiles.
—Bernard E. Trainor, "Iranian Warships Now Using Missiles for Night Attacks," New York Times, 20 January 1987, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

21 January 1987
In answering a question about TOW anti-tank missiles and Hawk anti-aircraft missiles sold to Iran by the Reagan administration, chief Pentagon spokesman Robert B. Sims says, "We've seen no indication these have been employed [in the current Iranian offensive] and if they have, they have had no effect."
—"Iran Fires Missile at Baghdad, Reports Advance Toward Basra," Los Angeles Times, 21 January 1987, p. 8, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

22 January 1987
Iran fires a "mid-range" missile at Iraqi oil facilities near Banmil at 8:30 a.m. At 10:30 p.m., the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fires one Scud missile at Baghdad.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

23 January 1987
Iran fires two missiles at Basra, Iraq at 2:00 and 3:00 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

24 January 1987
Iran fires two "mid range" missiles at Basra, Iraq at 2:00 and 3:00 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

25 January 1987
Iran fires four "medium-range" missiles at Basra and Khanaqin, Iraq. The missiles are fired around 4:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

26 January 1987
Iran fires four missiles at Basra, Iraq. The missiles are launched at 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. Another missile is launched at Iraqi oil facilities near Banmil at 9:00 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

31 January 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps report firing a Scud missile at a "strategic military target" in Baghdad at 8:30 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

February 1987
Iran reportedly conducts successful test-fires of the Chinese-supplied HY-2 Silkworm missiles from a site on Qeshm Island.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, "North Korea's HY-2 Silkworm programme," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 May 1989, p. 203, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 February 1987
State-run Baghdad Radio reports that an Iranian surface-to-surface missile strikes Baghdad, the eighth SSM to hit Baghdad since the beginning of the Iranian offensive. The Iranian news agency IRNA reports that the missile strike was in retaliation for the deaths of 68 schoolgirls in an Iraqi air raid on 2 February.
—"Missile hits Baghdad; Iran cities bombed," San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 February 1987, p. A11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 February 1987
Iran fires one "medium-range" missile at Khanaqin, Iraq at 1:15 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

5 February 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fires one Scud missile at Baghdad.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

6 February 1987
An Iranian surface-to-surface missile strikes Baghdad, the ninth such attack since the beginning of the year. Iran radio, which can be heard in Baghdad, warns Iraqis to leave the capital to "remain safe" from attacks carried out "in reprisal for continuous Iraqi air raids on Iranian residential areas." Iran fires one "mid-range" missile at Khanaqin, Iraq at 8:00 a.m.
—"The World," Los Angeles Times, 6 February 1987, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

6 February 1987
Belgian newspapers report that U.S. and West European weapons have passed illegally through Belgian seaports and airports on their way to Iran over a period of four years. The weapons, including those in the U.S. arms-for-hostages scandal, carried falsified customs and end-user certificates.
—Richard Owen, "Weapons for Iran said to have passed through Belgium," The Times (London), 7 February 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

7 February 1987
Iranian officials say that they have fired a missile into Khaneqin, 145km northeast of Baghdad.
—"Beirut's starving may start eating human flesh," Toronto Star, 7 February 1987, p. A12, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 February 1987
Middle East aviation sources say that U.S. missiles sent to Iran in the arms-for-hostages deal have knocked out a substantial number of Iraqi planes and tanks in the more recent Iran-Iraq War fighting. The sources say that the Hawk anti-aircraft and TOW anti-tank missiles have been a major factor in heavy losses suffered by Iraq since Iran launched its most recent offensive on 9 January. Iran reportedly deploys most of its anti-aircraft missiles near major ground war zones along the border and around strategic areas such as its Kharq Island oil terminal.
—Reuters, "Iran's US weapons 'take toll' on Iraqi forces," Toronto Star, 9 February 1987, p. A8, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 February 1987
The chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Mohsen Rezai, says that the IRGC has a large store of missiles ready for use and that if "[Iraq's] mischief continues, our attacks on strategic centers in Baghdad and other cities will increase."
—"The World," Los Angeles Times, 10 February 1987, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 February 1987
Iraqi warplanes bomb six Iranian cities: Qom, Nahaavand, Borujerd, Kuhdasht, Urumieh, and Tabriz, while thousands of people are marching in the streets in celebration of the anniversary of the 1979 revolution. An Iranian spokesman for the war information headquarters in Iran says that "Iran's Islamic combatants will target Baghdad in the coming hours." The spokesman advises Baghdad residents to evacuate their city, and adds that Iranian artillery will also target "military and economic sites" in Iraqi border cities.
—UPI, "Iraq planes bomb during Iran parades," Los Angeles Times, 11 February 1987, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 February 1987
Iran fires a surface-to-surface missile at Baghdad in retaliation for Iraqi air raids on 18 Iranian cities that killed or wounded scores of civilians on the eighth anniversary of the 1979 revolution. This is the 10th missile Iran has launched against Baghdad in 1987.
—"Iraq Bombs 18 Cities; Iran Missile Hits Baghdad," Los Angeles Times, 12 February 1987, p. 16, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

12 February 1987
Iran fires one "mid-range" missile at Basra, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

13 February 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Air Force fires one Scud missile at Baghdad at 7:50 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

15 February 1987
Iran fires one unknown missile at Basra, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

29 February 1987
Iran fires 3 Scud-Bs at the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
—Dilip Hiro, The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict (New York: Routledge, 1991), p. 200.

End February-Mid-April 1987
Iran launches 50 Scuds at Iraqi cities.
—Sharam Chubin, "Iran and the War from Stalemate to Ceasefire" in Efraim Karsch, ed., Iran-Iraq War (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989), pp. 21-22.

1 March-20 April 1987
Iran launches 77 Scud-Bs on Iraqi urban centers. Most of them are targeted at the capital Baghdad.
—Dilip Hiro, The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict (New York: Routledge, 1991), p. 200.

10 March 1987
A federal judge says that he could not accept the Reagan administration's Iranian arms sales as a defense for a Pakistani man accused of smuggling Hawk missile parts to Iran. The defendant, Arif Durrani, claims that he was asked by U.S. officials to locate out-of-stock Hawk missile parts as part of the effort to free American hostages in Lebanon. Durrani claimed in a 4 February affidavit that he was approached by a man he now believes was Lt. Col. Oliver North.
—"Westlake Village Man on Trial in Arms Case; US Sales to Iran Rejected as Defense," Los Angeles Times, 12 March 1987, p. 11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 1987
U.S. intelligence sources say Iran is installing large land-based anti-ship missiles near the Strait of Hormuz. The missile system, which appears to be the Chinese-made HY-2 (C-802), was spotted by U.S. intelligence within the last month. The HY-2 missile system is based on a Chinese-built version of the Russian-designed missile known as the Styx or SS-N-2. The HY-2 missile system is a Chinese coastal defense version of the ship-launched Styx. According to intelligence sources, there are approximately six missiles at two separate locations near the mouth of the Gulf. One is on the Iranian coastline near the town of Kuhstak, the other on the island of Qeshm, near Bandar-e Abbas. None of the Iranian missiles has been fired, but the presence of the HY-2 is seen as a sign that Iran is prepared to continue and even intensify its shipping war in the Persian Gulf against Iraq. Earlier in the year, the Iranians began to launch night attacks with Sea Killer missiles against ships in the Gulf.
—Bernard E. Trainor, "New Iranian Missiles Reported at Gulf Entrance," New York Times, 15 March 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 1987
It is not known how Iran obtained the HY-2 missiles. China denies selling weapons to Iran, contrary to allegations made by U.S. officials.
—Associated Press, "Iran's 'Styx' Missiles Worry Shipping Officials," Journal of Commerce, 20 March 1987, p. 22B, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

20 March 1987
The United States informs the Iranian government of its "serious concern" over the presence of HY-2 anti-ship missiles in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. State Department spokesman Charles Redman says that the warning was conveyed through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. He calls the Silkworm missiles "a potential threat to international shipping."
—UPI, "US Tells Iran of Concern Over Hormuz," Los Angeles Times, 21 March 1987, p. 8, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

25 March 1987
According to the British Navy, Iran tests its new Silkworm anti-shipping missile in the Strait of Hormuz.
—"Iran Tests Missile," Financial Times (London), 25 March 1987.

25 March 1987
Speaker of Iran's Parliament, Hojat-al-Islam Hashemi Rafsanjani says, "Americans around the world would be in danger if the United States launched an attack in the Persian Gulf," where U.S. naval forces have been strengthened. He confirms that the United States has warned Iran through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran against using the mobile Chinese-made HY-2 missiles deployed on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.
—Associated Press, "Iran Warns of Danger if US Attacks in Gulf," New York Times, 25 March 1987, p. A5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

28 March 1987
An Iranian gunboat fires a missile into the Sedra, a Singapore-registered tanker sailing in the Persian Gulf. According to shipping sources, the missile is an Italian-made Sea Killer. Iran has produced a medium-range surface-to-surface missile with technological help from China. The Iranians have targeted shipping in the Persian Gulf during the six-and-a-half-year-old Iran-Iraq War. The Iranians have attacked a dozen vessels owned by Kuwait or plying Kuwaiti ports since September 1986. Iran claims Kuwait supports Iraq in the Gulf War.
—"Iranian-fired missile guts tanker in gulf," San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 March 1987, p. A2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

30 March 1987
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report states that the Pentagon undercharged the CIA by $2.1 million for anti-tank missiles that eventually were sold to Iran.
—"Anti-tank missiles for Iran sold at loss," San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 March 1987, p. A9, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

April 1987
Iran's Ambassador to China, Alauddin Borujerdi, says that any Chinese arms that Iran might be using were either bought on the international arms market or captured from Iraqi forces.
—Reuters, "China Checking on Arms Reaching Iran," Los Angeles Times, 10 May 1987, p. 26, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 April 1987
Arif Durrani, a Pakistani businessman accused of illegally selling Hawk missile parts to Iran, is convicted on three counts for exporting the missile parts to Iran without U.S. government permission. Durrani has claimed throughout the trial to have acted on behalf of the U.S. National Security Council as part of the Reagan Administration's secret arms-for-hostages deal with Iran. [Note: Refer to the entry for 10 March 1987 for more information.]
—UPI, "Man Convicted in Missile Parts Sale to Iran Despite Claimed NSC Role," Los Angeles Times, 3 April 1987, p. 30, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 April 1987
Iran's ambassador to China, Alauddin Borujerdi, acknowledges that Iran might have obtained weapons from China, including missiles, but denies that they are the result of any military agreement. He says that Chinese weapons are available on the "open market" and do not have to be obtained through a direct military agreement with the Chinese. Borujerdi says, "It is just natural that we have bought weapons, but . . . all these weapons are available to us and we shall take all the opportunities to buy them in the open market." China repeatedly denies that it has sold arms to Iran.
—"Iran May Have Received Chinese Arms, Aide Says," Washington Post, 14 April 1987, p. A11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

24 April 1987
A Gulf military source states that Iran set up a missile-launching site on captured Iraqi soil within range of Kuwait and its oil tankers.
—"Iranian Missile Site," Financial Times (London), 24 April 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

28 April 1987
Commander of the naval unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Husayn Alai, says that his unit has access to the "most powerful" coast-to-sea missile system in the Persian Gulf, which was installed in strategically significant locations.
—"Armed Forces Install 'Powerful' Antiship Missiles," IRNA (Tehran), 28 April 1987; in FBIS, 29 April 1987, p. 13.

May 1987
The White House and the U.S. State Department hint that U.S. warplanes would attack Chinese-supplied Silkworm missiles if they are deployed to threaten U.S. forces and if Iranian actions provide a justification for such an attack. U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger and Secretary of State George P. Schultz reportedly protest the shipment of Silkworm missiles and other weapons to Iran during recent trips to Beijing.
—Don Oberdorfer, "US Policy in Gulf Complicates Relations with Soviets, Chinese; Cooperation Sought at United Nations to Halt Flow of Arms to Iran," Washington Post, 31 May 1987, p. A30, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 May 1987
China is seriously investigating whether Chinese arms are being sent to Iran by third parties. Abu Iyad, head of a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) delegation to China, quotes Chinese officials as saying that Chinese weapons could have reached Iran by indirect routes.
—Reuters, "China Checking on Arms Reaching Iran," Los Angeles Times, 10 May 1987, p. 26, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

Mid-May 1987
China makes its second delivery of Silkworm (HY-2) anti-ship missiles to Iran. The official says, "The missiles add a dangerous dimension to shipping in the gulf." He says that Iran has prepared sites for the weapons, but has not deployed Silkworm missiles.
—Associated Press, "China said to be sending anti-ship missiles to Iran," Toronto Star, 27 May 1987, p. A16, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

19 May 1987
Assistant Secretary of State Richard W. Murphy, the Reagan administration's senior Middle East specialist, testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran agreed in 1986 to spend $700 million to purchase the Silkworm missile system for possible use in blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Chinese officials, in public and private, are said to have denied that China is supplying arms to Iran.
—Don Oberdorfer, "US Policy in Gulf Complicates Relations with Soviets, Chinese; Cooperation Sought at United Nations to Halt Flow of Arms to Iran," Washington Post, 31 May 1987, p. A30, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

23 May 1987
The Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas reports that China has signed an agreement with Iran to build four factories in Iran for ammunition, rockets, and tank spare parts. In return, China will receive 28 million barrels of oil annually. The paper also reports that China has agreed to deliver an unspecified number of Chinese-made MiG19 warplanes, 200 tanks similar to the T59, field guns, and SA-2 and SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran.
—Lena Sun, "China Strongly Denies Selling Arms to Iran," Washington Post, 11 June 1987, p. A29, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

Late May 1987
A deputy Iranian foreign minister, Sheikh al-Islam, slips into Beijing unannounced by the Chinese on what diplomatic sources say is an arms-buying mission. According to diplomatic sources in Beijing, Iran is suspected of asking China to supply more Silkworm missiles.
—Jasper Becker, "Iran 'asks China for more missiles'," Guardian (London), 1 June 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

Early June 1987
Tank owners operating out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi report that captains of several vessels hear a missile being test-fired. Foreign tankers sailing in the Gulf also pick up triangularity transmissions coming from the coastline near Bandar-e Abbas, where the Silkworm missiles have been taken. The transmissions, which will eventually be used for targeting, are essential preliminary to the deployment of mobile batteries.
—Robert Fisk, "Iran 'begins tests' on Silkworm firing," The Times (London), 15 June 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

June 1987
Iran and North Korea conclude a $500 million arms agreement which includes the purchase of 90-100 North Korean-produced Scud-Bs and an unknown number of HY-2 Silkworm missiles. The Scud-B is known as the Hwasong-5 in North Korea, and the Shahab-1 in Iran. North Korea has also agreed to help set up a missile production plant in Iran. This deal may include Iranian purchase of SA-2, HQ-1 and HQ-2 surface-to-air missiles.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, pp. 12-13.

June 1987
Iran and North Korea sign a $500 million follow-up agreement whereby Iran will receive 90-100 Scuds. Deliveries start in 1987 and are completed in March 1988. Part of the follow up was the construction of missile facilities in Iran for the production of Scud-B and a longer-version Scud-C. There are approximately 100 facilities employing several thousand people. The largest facility was built near the industrial city of Isfahan.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 22.

June 1987
As a continuation of their 1985 bilateral accord, Iran and North Korea complete a $500 million military assistance agreement, which includes the purchase of 90-100 North Korean Scud missiles, 12 transporter-erector launchers (TELs), and an unknown number of North Korean-built HY-2 Silkworm missiles.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "North Korea's HY-2 'Silkworm' Programme," Jane's Soviet Intelligence Review, May 1989, pp. 203-207; Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Ballistic Missiles in the Third World—Iran's Medium-Range Missiles," Jane's Intelligence Review, April 1992, pp. 147-152; Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, p. 12.

June 1987
Iran and North Korea conclude a $500 million arms agreement which includes the purchase of 90-100 North Korean-produced Scud-Bs and an unknown number of HY-2 Silkworm missiles. Deliveries are believed to begin during July 1987 and continue irregularly through 1988.
—"The Iranian Connection," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 May 1989, p. 206, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

June 1987
Iran spends about $500 million on an arms deal with North Korea that includes the purchase of Scud-Mod. B missiles, transporter-erector launchers (TELs), and HY-2 Silkworm missiles. Once the missiles arrive in Iran, they are put under the auspices of the "Missile Unit of the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] Air Force" which is overseeing the Scud attacks against Iraq.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: the New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., pp. 54-55.

June 1987
In response to a Reagan administration protest over the sale of HY-2 Silkworm missiles to Iran, China denies that it made the sale. U.S. officials do not believe the denial, but one anonymous White House source says China contends the missiles are coming from North Korea.
—Gerald B. Boyd, "U.S. Says China Is Arming Iran, Despite Denial," New York Times, 7 June 1987, pp. A1, A15.

June 1987
White House Chief of Staff Howard H. Baker, Jr. warns that the United States will consider Iranian deployment of Silkworm missiles a hostile act that might result in U.S. retaliation.
—"US Detects Iran Work on Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 6 July 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

June 1987
An unnamed Western diplomat in Beijing expresses frustration with what he describes as the growing gap between China's overall foreign policy image and its goal of earning income to modernize its armed forces. "China has held itself up as a leader in world disarmament. How can you say you're a leader and at the same time be a major arms supplier?"
—Lena Sun, "China Strongly Denies Selling Arms to Iran," Washington Post, 11 June 1987, p. A29, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 June 1987
Frank C. Carlucci, Reagan's national security adviser, says that Chinese officials deny selling missiles to Iran, and indicates that the United States does not believe the Chinese denials. Carlucci says China's denial comes in a response through diplomatic channels to a protest by the administration over the sale of Silkworm missiles. Carlucci says there are at least 20 Silkworm missiles in Iran, and Tehran will soon receive twice that number. A White House official, who asks not to be identified, says China contends in its denials that the missiles are being supplied by North Korea.
—Gerald M. Boyd, "US Says China Is Arming Iran, Despite Denial," New York Times, 7 June 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; David Hoffman, "US Rejects Denial by Chinese; Carlucci: Beijing Has Sent Antiship Missiles to Iran," Washington Post, 7 June 1987, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 June 1987
Iranian authorities believe that Americans, "contrary to what they claim, are unable to accept the risk of attacking Iranian missile bases in the Persian Gulf or other forms of confrontation. U.S. centers and nuclear reactors can be more vulnerable than the missile bases of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
—AP, Reuters, "US reactors a target if missiles hit, Iran says," Toronto Star, 10 June 1987, p. A29, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 June 1987
North Korea denies Western press reports that it is acting as a conduit for Chinese Silkworm missile deliveries to Iran.
—Korean Central News Agency, 10 June 1987, in "Rumor of Arms to Iran Called 'Malicious Lie'," FBIS-EAS-87-111, 10 June 1987, p. C1.

10 June 1987
A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry denies as "sheer fabrication" reports of a massive arms-for-oil deal between China and Iran. The spokesman says that China is neutral in the Persian Gulf War. "The Chinese government hopes that all parties concerned will exercise constraint and cease attacks and threats of attack on oil tankers and merchant ships navigating in the Gulf," the spokesman says. The reported arms-for-oil deal between China and Iran is said to be valued at approximately $560 million. Details of the reported agreement originally appear in a Kuwaiti newspaper.
—Julian Baum, "China stresses neutrality in Gulf, denies aiding Iran," Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 1987, p. 12, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 June 1987
Chinese and Iranian officials deny U.S. charges that China supplies Silkworm anti-ship missiles to Iran. In Tehran, Iranian parliamentary speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani denies that Iran has obtained Silkworm missiles from China. Rafsanjani tells a meeting of Iranian physicians that the missiles in Iran's possession were captured from Iraq in the February 1986 invasion of Iraq's Faw Peninsula. Rafsanjani also suggests that it will be unnecessary to deploy anti-ship missiles to the Strait of Hormuz, because "these missiles are mobile, and hitting a ship moving at a steady velocity in the straits would not be a difficult task."
—Reuters, "China denies giving Iran anti-ship missiles for gulf," Toronto Star, 11 June 1987, p. A17, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 June 1987
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati denies that Iran has received any weapons from China, including anti-ship missiles. He says that Iran has manufactured its own missiles and adds that China did not help to build the missile production site. Velayati's denial emerges amid reports that China has sold surface-to-ship Silkworm cruise missiles to Iran. China also denies the sale of the Silkworm missile. Velayati says that Iran is ready to purchase weapons from any country in the world except Israel and South Africa. Velayati met with Chinese head of state Li Xiannian after visiting North Korea. Many European and Asian diplomats say that Iran has obtained "great quantities" of Chinese arms via North Korea.
—"Iran denies receiving Chinese missiles," San Diego-Tribune, 14 June 1987, p. A10, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 June 1987
Velayati says that Iran manufactures its own missiles and that China is not helping to build the missile production installation.
—Edward A. Gargan, "Iranian denies China is a source of weapons," New York Times, 14 June 1987, p. 6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

30 June 1987
Iranian President Ali Khamenei says that Iran has the missile strength to make the Persian Gulf dangerous for U.S. ships. After watching war games by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' missile brigade in central Iran, Khamenei says the United States would receive "such a blow that neither the American public nor the Congress would ever forgive their [administration's] folly." Khamenei does not reveal how Iran obtains its missiles, but says that "through sincere efforts all hurdles have been passed."
—Reuters, "Iran boasts its missiles now imperil US Navy," Toronto Star, 2 July 1987, p. A2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

July 1987
Deliveries of Scud-B (Hwasŏng-5) missiles from the Iranian order begin. The deliveries are believed to have been made by sea and continue through February 1988. The missile is called "Shahab-1" in Iran. The first batch of shipments total 100 for use in the Iran-Iraq War, and the number eventually reaches 400 missiles.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "New Developments in North Korean Missile Programme," Jane's Soviet Intelligence Review, August 1990, pp. 343-345; Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, p. 12; Chang Chun Ik, Pukhan Haek-Missile Chŏnjaeng (Seoul: Sŏmundang, May 1999), p. 270; "Ballistic Missile Threat Evolves," International Defense Review, Vol. 33, No. 10, 1 October 2000, in Lexis-Nexis Acacemic Universe, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

5 July 1987
Pentagon officials say that the United States has detected Iranian preparations to make its Silkworm missiles operational.
—"US Detects Iran Work on Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 6 July 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 July 1987
Iran reportedly begins to place its Silkworm missiles on launchers in the Strait of Hormuz. The missiles have been test-fired in February, but gulf-based salvage executives report that some of the missiles were installed on 3 July. A U.S. government official in Washington, however, cautions against reporting the missiles as deployed. He says that according to evidence available to him the missiles were not "operationally deployed."
—"Iran Reportedly Deploys New Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 6 July 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

July 1987
A military report edited by Seoul's Yonhap News Agency says that North Korea exports at least 100 Scud-B missiles to Iran between July 1987 and early February 1988. The North Korean Scud-B has a range of 320km, an improvement over the original Soviet-built Scud-B with a range of 280km. North Korea has reached "100% independent production" of the Scud-B in 1986.
—"DPRK Military Terms Defined," Pukhan Yongo 400 Sonjip (Seoul), 25 February 2000; in FBIS Document KPP20000308000103, 8 March 2000.

8 July 1987
U.S. Navy planes fly over the Persian Gulf in an operation intended to "knock out" Iranian anti-ship missiles. The operation is reportedly launched after the United States "detected preparations to make the Iranian Silkworm missiles operational." White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater says that the planes are launched from the USS Constellation to escort the USS Stark from the Persian Gulf.
—"US Planes Sent To Check Silkworm Missile Sites," IRNA (Tehran), 8 July 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-131, 9 July 1987, p. S1.

8 July 1987
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Mohsen Rezai says that Iran built copies of Soviet-made SS-N-2 Styx missiles that were captured when Iranian forces overran Iraq's southern Faw Peninsula in February 1986. Rezai says that if one of these missiles had been fired at the USS Stark last week while it was being escorted out of Bahrain, the American ship would have been cut in half.
—Associated Press, "Iran Says It Copied Missiles," Journal of Commerce, 10 July 1987, p. 3B, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 July 1987
U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger says U.S. forces are ready to attack Iranian Silkworm missiles if Iran prepares to fire them at Kuwaiti oil tankers escorted by American warships.
—Mark Tran, "US warns it is ready to attack Iran missiles," Guardian, 14 July 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

August 1987
In regards to the military maneuver beginning this month, Commander Mohsen Rezai says that "ground-to-air, ground-to-ground, and ground–to-sea missiles were aimed at mocked targets but would not be fired during the maneuvers; however, if the enemy takes action in the gulf, the Guards missile maneuvers will become a real military operation."
—Paula A. DeSutter, Denial and Jeopardy Deterring Iranian Use of NBC Weapons (Washington, D.C.: National Defense University Press, 1997), p. 59.

4 August 1987
Iranian Navy Commodore Mohammed Hosayn Makekzadegan says that all Iranian missile systems are ready to be put into operation in the event of any plot by Iran's enemies.
—"Makekzadegan Says Missiles Ready," IRNA (Tehran), 4 August 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-150, 5 August 1987, p. S3.

17 August 1987
The Iranian ambassador to Beijing, Alaeddin Borujerdi, says that Iranian Silkworm missiles deployed around the Strait of Hormuz are not Chinese missiles, but copies of missiles seized from Iraq. The United States believes that the Silkworm missiles are Chinese-made.
—"Envoy in Beijing Says Missiles Not From China," Agence France Presse, 14 August 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-158, 17 August 1987, p. S9.

19 August 1987
Victor Fonsea, a Portuguese citizen, is arrested in Midland, Texas while inspecting crates he believed to contain $2 million in missile guidance parts destined for Iran. Fonseca is charged with organized criminal activity and jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond.
—Associated Press, "Sting Foils Alleged Missile Deal for Iran," Los Angeles Times, 20 August 1987, p. 24, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

31 August 1987
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. General Jalali says the Defense Ministry's "self-sufficient industries" are making a new missile. He stresses that if Saddam Hussein begins a war of cities, the missile will be used.
—"Defense Minister Announces New Mine, Missile," Domestic Service (Tehran), 28 August 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-168, 31 August 1987, p. S6.

September 1987
The United States cuts off supplies of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to an Afghan guerrilla group after discovering that the Afghan resistance sold at least 16 of the missiles to Iran. The commanders who are said to have sold the missiles, Mullah Mahiullah of Nimrooz and Mullah Faqir-Ahmad of Anar Dara, were supplied with 36 Stinger missiles. They deny having sold the missiles to Iran and claim that the Iranians captured the weapons inside Afghanistan.
—Sara Shah, "Afghans sell US Stingers to Khomeini," The Times (London), 20 September 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 September 1987
A Chinese-made Silkworm missile is fired from Iran and hits Kuwaiti territory.
—Patrick E. Tyler, "Iran Warns Kuwait on Ties to Iraq, US; Report Blames Tehran for Missile Attack," Washington Post, 7 September 1987, p. A23, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 September 1987
The United States sends a message through the Soviet Union to Libya stressing its concern over Libyan attempts to procure chemical weapons from Iran in exchange for Soviet-made mines. It is further reported that Libya and Syria have been supporting Iran and providing Iran with Soviet-made weapons, including long-range surface-to-surface missiles.
—David B. Ottaway, "In a Rare Joint Effort, Superpowers Press Libya; Gadhafi Cautioned on Arms Deal with Iran," Washington Post, 11 September 1987, p. A33, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 September 1987
During talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Mohammed Besharati reports that Iran has Chinese-designed missiles, but claims they were captured from Iraq rather than purchased from China. Besharati's statement is the most explicit made to date asserting Iran's possession of Silkworm (HY-2) missiles.
—Daniel Southerland, "Iraq Called Silkworms' Source," Washington Post, 12 September 1987, p. A17, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 September 1987
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Mohammed Besharati says, "It is not our concern at this time as to where the Iraqis received these missiles. We have Chinese-made missiles available at our disposal, but we have not received them from China. We captured them from the Iraqis."
—Associated Press, "Iran Seized Missiles, Aide Says," Los Angeles Times, 12 September 1987, p. 3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

8 September 1987
Italian authorities arrest Walther Demuth, a Swiss man who could be connected to the Iran-Contra arms affair, on a U.S. arms-trafficking warrant. An international warrant was issued on 20 August 1986 by authorities in New York that charged him with illegal trade in military materials and defrauding the U.S. government. Demuth is head of the Swiss company Helitrade, which deals in arms and aircraft. According to police, Demuth is involved in selling five second-hand French aircraft to Iran at the time of his arrest.
—Associated Press, "Italians hold Swiss man suggest links to Irangate," Toronto Star, 13 September 1987, p. A16, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 September 1987
Iraq reports that Iran fired 17 missiles at Basra.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

17 September 1987
Iran fires 17 Oghab rockets at the Iraqi city of Basra.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 50.

22 September 1987
Iranians display Stinger missiles with other weapons on the first day of Iran's War Week parades. Other weapons on display include Russian Scud-B missiles, SAM-2 missiles, Tiger Cat missiles, and what are said to be copies of Chinese Silkworm missiles.
—"Stingers said part of McFarlane deal," San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 October 1987, p. A9, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

5 October 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fire one Scud missile at Baghdad's Higher Military Training Center for Republican Guards. The missile struck at 10:07 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

6 October 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fire one Scud missile at Baghdad's Higher Military Training Center for Republican Guards. The missile struck at 12:38 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

8 October 1987
Iranians claim to have fired Stinger SAMs from patrol boats in the Persian Gulf against U.S. helicopter gunships. A Pentagon official reports that no Stinger launchers or missiles are found on the destroyed Iranian patrol boats, but cables, batteries and other equipment used with the missiles are among the debris. U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger confirms for the first time that Iran possesses advanced Stinger missiles.
—"Iran Claims to be Building Its Own Stinger Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 11 October 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 October 1987
The U.S. Defense Department says two Iranian boats, captured by the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, contain equipment "believed associated with the U.S. Stinger program."
—"AFP: Stinger Missiles Part of US Arms Deal," Agence France-Presse, 27 October 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-207, 27 October 1987, p. 47.

10 October 1987
Head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Mohsen Rafiqdust, tells a news conference that Iran is making its own version of the U.S.-designed Stinger missile. He says that Iran has obtained Stinger missiles and is successfully copying them. Rafiqdust gives no further details on how Iran obtained the missiles.
—"Iran Claims to Be Building Its Own Stinger Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 11 October 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 October 1987
Mohsen Rezai, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, announces that Iran has obtained and successfully copied the anti-aircraft Stinger missile for quite some time.
—"IRGC Commander on Producing Stinger Missiles," IRNA (Tehran), 10 October 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-197, 13 October 1987, p. 44.

11 October 1987
Two Afghan rebels are arrested in Pakistan for attempting to sell Stinger missiles to Iran. A second source reports that the "kidnapping" of an Afghan Mujahideen convoy was arranged near the Iranian border so its Stinger missiles could be confiscated and taken to Iran.
—Edward Gorman, "Afghans held for secret weapons deal," The Times (London), 12 October 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 October 1987
An Iranian surface-to-surface missile hits Baghdad around midnight. Iran claims that the missile has hit a major military garrison; Iraq claims the missile has struck a civilian area.
—Associated Press, "Iraq Hits 3 Tankers; An Iranian Missile Goes Off in Baghdad," New York Times, 12 October 1987, p. A6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

11 October 1987
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Said Rajaie Khorassani says that Iran has acquired U.S.-made Stinger missiles and is prepared to use them against American forces in the Persian Gulf. Iran is thought to have purchased 20 Stinger missiles from Afghan rebels for $1 million.
—Lionel Barber, "Iran Threatens to Use Stingers," Financial Times (London), 12 October 1987, p. 3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 October 1987
Iran fires a Scud missile at Baghdad, killing 250 people. Iraq says the missile struck next to an elementary school. After the missile attack, the Iraqi news agency says, "It is Iraq's right and its duty to reply to this heinous crime. They want a war of the cities and they will get it. Missiles will make them understand." [Note: Statements such as these are representative of the attitude of reciprocity that marked the War of the Cities missile exchanges between Iraq and Iran.]
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Andrew Gowers and Lionel Barber, "Iranian Missile Hits School Killing 32," Financial Times (London), 14 October 1987, p. 3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 October 1987
The magazine Al-Masirah reports that Iran obtains Stinger surface-to-air missiles and launchers through an Islamic party in Afghanistan led by Yunis Khalis (Hizb-i-Islami-i).
—"Stinger Missiles Obtained From DRA Rebels," Radio Free Lebanon, 10 October 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-197, 13 October 1987, p. 43-44.

13 October 1987
Afghan resistance leader Yunis Khalis denies that the Mujahideen guerillas have sold U.S.-made Stinger missiles to Iran.
—"Afghan resistance leader denies that Mujahideen guerillas have sold Stinger missiles to Iran," The Times (London), 14 October 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 October 1987
An unidentified source "close to the 'radical' revolutionary group in Iran" says that U.S. Stinger missiles were part of the Robert C. McFarlane secret arms deal. He says he could not remember how many Stingers he helped to unload from McFarlane's plane. Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Hashemi Rafsanjani has said many times that in addition to the cake, the Colt pistol, and the Bible signed by Reagan, there were also weapons on the McFarlane plane.
—"Stingers said part of McFarlane deal," San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 October 1987, p. A9, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

15 October 1987
In an interview with the Tehran Times, Mohsen Rezai says that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has started to copy missiles made by the West and East in both design and manufacture. Rezai reports progress in making the missiles for battlefield use. Work is also started on the Scud-B missile. Rezai says that Iran has almost achieved self-sufficiency in Scud missile production and that similar missiles have been purchased from various countries in the past. He says that Iran has more than 16 Stinger missiles, which Iran has been copying for the past year. He denies that the missiles have been obtained from Yunis Khalis.
—"Rezai'e on Output, Sources of Weapons," Keyhan (Tehran), 15 October 1987, p. 2; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-204, 22 October 1987, pp. 35-36.

15 October 1987
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger reports that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) snatched six U.S.-manufactured Stinger missiles from Afghan guerrillas after a convoy delivering the weapons broke down. According to U.S. intelligence sources, the Iranians grabbed the missiles from a convoy on its way to Afghan rebel leader Ismail Khan. Weinberger's disclosure of the intelligence report is seen as an attempt to discredit rumors that the Stinger missiles were delivered by the United States during Robert McFarlane's trip to Iran on 28 May 1986. The Iranian Ambassador to the UN Rajaie Khorassani suggests that "middlemen" arranged the acquisition of Stinger missiles.
—Alex Brummer, "Stinger missiles 'snatched from Afghan rebels'," Guardian (London), 15 October 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

22 October 1987
The Reagan administration decides to delay future transfers of high-technology items to China and asks the Senate to review a current $528 million arms agreement as part of a protest of China's sale of Silkworm missiles to Iran. Both actions follow Iran's Silkworm missile attack on 22 October on a Kuwaiti oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, the third time in a week that Iranian Silkworms have hit targets in Kuwaiti waters. Although China has repeatedly denied selling Silkworm missiles to Iran, U.S. intelligence sources report that Beijing has sold 30 to 35 Silkworm missiles to Iran.
—Molly Moore and David B. Ottaway, "US Reacts to China's Silkworm Sale; Technology Transfer Delayed; Senate Seeks Review of Arms Deal," Washington Post, 23 October 1987, p. A32, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

22 October 1987
U.S. military analysts suggest that the accuracy displayed by Iran's Silkworm missile attack on a Kuwaiti offshore oil terminal indicates that Iran has an advanced version of the missile, which has long been thought powerful but inaccurate.
—Peter Grier, "Surprising Accurate Hits; Iran may be using upgraded Silkworms, defense experts say," Christian Science Monitor, 23 October 1987, p. 6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

23 October 1987
Iran's ambassador to China, Alaeddin Borujerdi, says that Iran has dozens of U.S.-made Stinger missiles, but he refuses to say how Iran has obtained them. He adds that foreign estimates of Iran's Stinger missile arsenal are "far too low." He also reiterates that Iran has obtained Chinese-made Silkworm missiles from Iraq during battle and its use of the Silkworm missiles has nothing to do with China.
—Associated Press, "Iran Boasts of Many US Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 23 October 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

23 October 1987
In reference to the recent Reagan administration's decision to place curbs on China in response to alleged sales of Silkworm missiles to Iran, a U.S. State Department spokesman says, "We will continue to use every opportunity to discourage all parties from supplying arms to Iran."
—Mohsin Ali, "US urges China to end supply of missiles," The Times (London), 24 October 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

27 October 1987
The United States has reportedly supplied Iran with more than 30 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles as part of a secret arms deal known as the "Iran-gate" scandal. The report adds that Robert McFarlane, former national security advisor to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, traveled to Iran with a shipment of HAWK anti-aircraft missile spare parts on 28 May 1986 in a bid to free Western hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. Sources close to the U.S. Defense Department say that Iran's Revolution Guards Corps could have obtained the Stinger missiles destined for Afghan rebels by confiscating them. On 9 October, the U.S. Defense Department said that two Iranian boats, captured by the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, contained equipment "believed associated with the U.S. Stinger program."
—"AFP: Stinger Missiles Part of US Arms Deal," Agence France-Presse, 27 October 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-207, 27 October 1987, p. 47.

27 October 1987
U.S. administration officials say that a shipload of Chinese-built artillery shells have been delivered to Iran within the past week. The sources also point to "indications" that China is preparing to sell additional Silkworm missiles to Iran, possibly through a Hong Kong trading front.
—"US reports new deliveries of Chinese arms to Iran," Christian Science Monitor, 28 October 1987, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

30 October 1987
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Air Force fires one Scud missile at Iraq's air force headquarters in Baghdad at 1:07 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

31 October 1987
The Chinese have, over time, sold approximately 75 Silkworm missiles to Iran in addition to about 12 launchers.
—"Picking up Styx," Economist, 31 October 1987, p. 39, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 November 1987
Chinese Communist Party Chief Zhao Ziyang blasts the United States for accusing China of selling weapons to Iran. He reiterates denials by Chinese leaders that Beijing does not sell weapons to Iran nor to Iraq.
—AP-Reuters, "Zhao blasts American criticism of missiles, crackdown in Tibet," Toronto Star, 2 November 1987, p. A12, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 November 1987
U.S. Under-Secretary of State Michael H. Armacost meets with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Qian Qichen and other Chinese officials, and reports their pledge to prevent Silkworm missiles from being delivered to Iran. China has repeatedly denied selling Silkworm missiles to Iran and denies that it sells any weapons to Iran or to Iraq. Armacost cites a September interview between NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and Chinese Communist Party Chief Zhao Ziyang. In the interview, Zhao said that he did not believe Iran has Chinese-made missiles, but that "the international arms market is very complicated" and "if a country has the money and is ready to pay a high price, it will have no trouble finding ways to acquire weapons." Zhao said, "We have taken note of international reaction...and are making efforts to prevent weapons China will export from being transferred to Iran or Iraq through other channels."
—David Holley, "China Pledges to Prevent Silkworm Delivery to Iran," Los Angeles Times, 4 November 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 November 1987
Iran's main opposition group based in Iraq, the MKO, announces that the Iranian government signed a contract with China in early 1986 to buy Silkworm missiles from China. They allege that Iran later sent more than 100 men to China for training in the use of the missiles. A communiqué from the Baghdad-based group states, "A $400 million contract was signed between the two sides of the missile deal, the first shipment of which arrived at the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in March, 1986." They add that Iran has sent a team headed by an Iranian official named Rezai to Beijing. [Note: It is likely that the "Rezai" mentioned here is Mohsen Rezai, an influential member of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and later its commander.]
—David Holley, "China Pledges to Prevent Silkworm Delivery to Iran," Los Angeles Times, 4 November 1987, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 November 1987
In a prepared statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Li Zhaoxing accuses U.S. officials and American media of spreading "groundless rumors" alleging that China is selling Silkworm missiles to Iran. He says the ministry has been asked to comment on reports "by US newspapers that China had sold 96 missiles to Iran and there were Chinese military specialists in Iran helping operate Silkworm missiles.... Here is our reply. All these are groundless rumors. Recently the US press has been trying to give the international community the impression [that] China has become the biggest arms supplier for Iran and has been spreading such rumors. This is really ridiculous. We express our strong dissatisfaction with the practice of shifting to China the responsibility for the escalation of tension in the [Persian] Gulf. Such attempts will get nowhere."
—David Holley, "China Accuses US of Rumors on Iran Silkworms," Los Angeles Times, 5 November 1987, p. 7, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 November 1987
Senior U.S. officials report that the Reagan administration, prompted by intelligence reports, has asked top Israeli officials if their government or private Israeli arms dealers have again sold arms to Iran. The Israelis deny any new sales, according to the officials. The unconfirmed reports received by U.S. intelligence include allegations that some Israelis may have negotiated to sell up to $750 million in arms to Iran in late summer 1986. The package reportedly includes U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles, Israeli Gabriel air-to-surface missiles; F-4 and F-5 aircraft engine parts, tanks and jeeps. The report alleges that the deal was made through a third party based in Geneva.
—David B. Ottaway and Molly Moore, "Israel Denies New Reports of Arms Shipments to Iran," Washington Post, 6 November 1987, p. A32, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

8 November 1987
Head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Mohsen Rezai, says that Iran is heading toward military self-sufficiency and is capable of manufacturing surface-to-surface missiles. He notes that the mass production of anti-tank TOW missiles is underway and that Iran is completing the manufacture of Scud missiles. Rafiqdust also notes that Iran is copying surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) of all kinds and will soon be able to mass-produce them.
—"Minister on Missile Manufacture, New Submarine," IRNA (Tehran), 8 November 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-216, 9 November 1987, p. 61.

9 November 1987
Iran says it launched two Scud missiles at Baghdad, but Iraq reports only one strike. The missile impacted at 6:15 p.m. and killed 116 people.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

13 November 1987
A Customs and Excise probe by UK officials discovers stolen F-14 Tomcat parts in a Middlesex, England mansion. They include spare parts for the F-14 that the Shah had bought for Iran before he was expelled.
—Richard Johns, "Arms Embargo Which Cannot Withstand The Profit Motive," Financial Times (London), 13 November 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 November 1987
Iran has been able to acquire the Stinger missiles. The Stinger is regarded by the United States as a sophisticated missile that is only sold by the United States to "trusted allies." Supposedly these missiles have been brought to Iran from Afghanistan. Chinese and North Korean imports have not compensated for the inaccessibility of parts for the Mirage F-1 fighter-bombers and the Exocet missiles. It is suspected that the Chinese have sent Silkworm missiles to Iran, though they continue to deny it, and say the missiles have probably been taken from the Iraqis. It is also possible that they may have come from North Korea. The shipments supposedly made from China to Iran include Soviet artillery and delivery systems as well as anti-aircraft missiles.
Valsella Meccanotecnica, a company that is half-owned by Fiat, has been found to supply Iran with mines by using companies in other countries such as Nigeria. Bofors, a subsidiary of Sweden's Nobel Industrier AB, has sold RBS anti-aircraft missiles to Iran by the way of Singapore, going against Stockholm's export laws to a country at war.

The 17 men that have been arrested in conjunction with selling arms to Iran are still waiting for their trial.
Iran has centers that acquire weapons and materials for Iran. One of them is the Pacific Import-Export office in Hamburg, and another is located in Zurich. Others are in Singapore, Greece, Turkey, and Spain, which specialize in shipments from South Africa, Brazil, and Portugal. Yugoslavia seems to have helped ship parts, including East European and East German variants of the ZSU series anti-aircraft guns. South Africa could pose a significant threat to any arms embargo declared against Iran.
—Richard Johns, "Arms Embargo Which Cannot Withstand The Profit Motive," Financial Times (London), 13 November 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

17 November 1987
New allegations of a French weapons sale to Iran emerge when the Lyons edition of the right-wing Figaro newspaper reports that three French Air Force Transall planes transported three consignments of missile systems to Tehran between 1982 and 1986. The daily reports on what it says were freight manifests for the airlift of "weapons and munitions" made by the Manurhin Company from French airbases to Tehran. Manurhin, which was taken over by Matra in 1984, denies any commercial links with Iran over the past 10 years. "We sell materiel to Iraq, but we have no relations with Iran," says Manurhin director Jan-Pol Philouze.
—Reuters, "New arms allegations emerge in France's 'Irangate' scandal," Toronto Star, 18 November 1987, p. A15, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

24 November 1987
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Han Xu reports that China has stopped selling Silkworm missiles on the international arms market in an effort to prevent their diversion to Iran. "Because we cannot control the international market...now we are trying to confine any sales of Silkworms." Han does not specify whether the cutoff of Silkworm missile sales applies to foreign governments, such as North Korea, as well as to private arms dealers. In the past, North Korea has served as a conduit for Chinese arms sales to other countries. Han says that U.S. officials have no proof to support their allegations that China is supplying Silkworm missiles to Iran. U.S. officials, however, insist that their proof is in the form of pictures of crates containing Silkworm missiles being loaded onto ships in Chinese ports, and pictures of those same crates being unloaded at Iranian ports. The pictures have been shown to Chinese officials, but they remain steadfast in their denials.
—Jim Mann, "Silkworm Missile Off World Market, China's Envoy Says," Los Angeles Times, 25 November 1987, p. 7, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

29 November 1987
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brig. General Mohammad Husayn Jalali announces on 29 November that Iran is manufacturing two types of advanced missiles.
—"Defense Minister on Advanced Missile Production," IRNA (Tehran), 29 November 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-230, 1 December 1987, p. 66.

1 December 1987
A report detailing the successful testing of a new SSM is submitted during a session of Iran's State Scientific Research Council. The report stresses that the first series of this new missile, manufactured by the Defense Industries Organization (DIO), will be placed at the disposal of the battlefronts.
—"New Missile Available in 'Next Few Days'," Domestic Service (Tehran), 1 December 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-230, 1 December 1987, p. 66.

1 December 1987
Iranian Prime Minister Husayn Musavi receives a report on the missile test of a new surface-to-surface missile. According to IRNA, the first shipments will be sent to forces fighting at the Iraqi front soon.
—Associated Press, "Iran claims successful missile test," San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 December 1987, p. A19, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 December 1987
Iran claims that a new surface-to-surface missile is successfully tested and will be deployed in the next few days. The report gives no further details on the missiles.
—Associated Press, "Iran claims successful missile test," San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 December 1987, p. A19, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 December 1987
Western analysts suggest that the development of a new surface-to-surface missile is within Iran's technological capabilities. They add, however, that large-scale production of miniaturized gyroscopes, needed to provide accurate targeting, is a more complex operation. The gyroscopes could be purchased on the international arms market, and there were rumors in 1986 that a supply of gyroscopes had been secured from a West German manufacturer.
—Joan Wucher King, "Iran Claims New Gulf Missile," Financial Times (London), 3 December 1987, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

5 December 1987
The United Arab Emerites newspaper Al-Ittihad reports that Iran receives 100 C-801 anti-ship missiles from China. The missile is reported to be the most modern Chinese anti-ship missile and resembles the French Exocet in terms of shape and size.
—"Paper on USSR Planes, PRC Missiles," WAM (Abu Dhabi), 5 December 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-234, 7 December 1987, p. 69.

12 December 1987
Tokyo news agency Kyodo reports on an article in the Beirut magazine Al-Shira. According to the article, China plans to sell Iran 300 additional Silkworm missiles. Iran is reportedly using the missiles against Kuwait. China denies that it directly provided the Silkworm to Iran.
—"PRC Reportedly To Sell Silkworm Missiles," Kyodo (Tokyo), 12 December 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-240, 15 December 1987, p. 63.

13 December 1987
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. says, "We have never sold Silkworms to Iran, and we have already taken measures to stop sales of Silkworm missiles on the international market."
—Robert S. Greenberger, "Chinese Missiles Are Apparently On Way to Iran," Wall Street Journal, 21 December 1987, p. 15.

14 December 1987
The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. intelligence satellite photographs last week have revealed that the Silkworm missiles spotted at a North Korean port in November 1987 are now gone, as is an Iranian vessel that is known to have made previous Silkworm deliveries to Iran.
—Robert S. Greenberger, "Chinese Missiles Are Apparently On Way to Iran," Wall Street Journal, 21 December 1987, p. 15.

18 December 1987
Iran reportedly receives an anti-ship missile from China similar to the French Exocet. The missile is of the SS-801 type and can carry incendiary warheads. Sources report that Iran has been using the missiles during the past month.
—"'Sources' Say PRC Silkworm Missiles Arrive," WAKH (Manama), 18 December 1987; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-87-243, 18 December 1987, p. 53.

25 December 1987
U.S. officials point to "strong indications" that China will send Iran either more Silkworm cruise missiles or a newer cruise missile, which is speculated to be as sophisticated as the Exocet cruise missile. The new missiles have been spotted in crates aboard an Iranian ship that U.S. intelligence sources have seen leaving a North Korean port. They have since lost track of the vessel. The missiles are believed to be Chinese-made because North Korea has served as a trans-shipment point for Chinese arms bound for Iran in the past, and the North Koreans are not known to manufacture cruise missiles. U.S. officials speculate that the new weapon China may be providing to Iran is the C-801, which has a solid-fueled engine and booster and can be launched from ships or aircraft.
—David B. Ottaway, "US Notes 'Strong Indications' China is Sending More Missiles to Tehran; Arms Sighted Aboard Iranian Ship Leaving North Korean Port," Washington Post, 25 December 1987, p. A37, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

27 December 1987
Iranian Prime Minister Husayn Mousavi says that Iran begins deployment of long-range missiles on the battlefront. He also states that Iran is producing copies of the U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles, as well as remote-controlled pilotless aircraft, and will soon start producing fighter planes.
—David Hirst, "Iran admits making chemical weapons," Guardian (London), 28 December 1987, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

31 December 1987
Three merchant ships believed to be loaded with Chinese-made arms, including Silkworm missiles, are en route to Iran. U.S. intelligence shows that two ships left North Korea more than a week earlier and the third shipped out of Shanghai, China, and headed south toward the Indian Ocean only a few days ago.
—"Chinese army may be headed to Iran," St. Petersburg Times, 31 December 1987, p. 12A, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

Late 1987
The United States convinces China not to sell silkworm missiles to Iran.
—Dilip Hiro, The Longest War The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict (NewYork: Routledge, 1991), p. 240.

	Updated February 2006