IRAN - Oct. 5 - US Companies' Presence Grows.

US companies strengthening their presence in Iran point to Washington's ambivalence towards Tehran. On the one hand, there are presidential orders and Congressional acts of 1995-1996 putting the US embargo on trade with Iran. On the other, the presence of American goods (Hewlett Packard, Intel, General Motors, etc.) in the country is growing. Many of the products make their way to Iranian markets through Dubai. An Iranian business consultant is quoted by the 'Financial Times' as saying: "The US is not monitoring things very closely. They must know that agents in Dubai are importing far more goods than the local market can absorb". But more direct routes are also available. The trade embargo prohibiting foreign subsidiaries of the US companies from trading with Tehran is easily sidestepped. The American oil companies use the latter channel to develop the Iranian oilfields. Conoco has analysed NIOC seismic data through its British subsidiary. These transactions are being investigated by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. Conoco denies violating the embargo.