Iran's supreme leader has replaced the commander of the Islamic republic's elite Revolutionary Guards in a switch seen by some in Tehran as further fallout from the election of the country's moderate new president.

Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei stepped down Tuesday after 16 years as commander of the Guards….

Rezaei's departure had even led to rumors among Iranians that he had sent his family to Germany, [a foreign] diplomat said….

The Iranian religious establishment's most bitter foe, the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said Wednesday Rezaei's resignation was the most important development in Tehran since Khatami became president.

Rezaei favored the election of Nateq-Nouri in the presidential poll and ever since the parliamentary speaker's defeat had come under a lot of pressure, said a spokesman for the group…

Now Every One Can See Instability of Iran's Ruling Theocracy, Iran Zamin News Agency, September 10 

On Tuesday, the resignation of the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, who had been the hallmark of the regime's military dominance in the past 16 years, was announced. Last week in a three-hour press interview, Mohsen Rezaii revealed that "officers from the command level and the experienced cadres from the Guards Corps' rank-and-file" had deserted the force. He also expressed his personal interest in "cultural affairs" and thereby declared his lack of interest in the Guards Corps.

According to a NCR statement, Mr. Massoud Rajavi, President of NCR said Rezaii's resignation was an indication of the fear, despair, and frustration of the highest officials of the regime. He pointed out that this resembled the resignation and flight of the shah's generals in the final days of the monarchic dictatorship.

The NCR statement added that on Tuesday, Rafsanjani announced "Velayat-e-Faqih", or the supreme rule of a jurisconsult, "the column which holds up the regime and the essence of the book of the Islamic Revolution" was under attack. He said undermining Velayat-e-Faqih is like "uprooting Islam and the regime."

According to NCR, Mr. Rajavi said: Rafsanjani's warning was a clear indication that the regime has completely lost its internal balance, and now, "everyone can see and hear the instability of Iran's ruling theocracy," the NCR statement said. 

Russia, China Aid Iran's Missile Program, The Washington Times, September 10 

Russia and China are working closely with Iran in building long-range nuclear missiles that could be fielded within three years, The Washington Times has learned.

A detailed Israeli intelligence report about the cooperation, which was given to the CIA and Pentagon, confirms that Iran is building two systems based on North Korea's Nodong missile with ranges up to 1,200 miles, Pentagon officials said….

New details about the Iranian missile program have alarmed both the U.S. and Israeli governments because the systems could hit targets throughout the region with chemical or biological weapons, and possibly with a future nuclear warhead, should Tehran succeed in building one.

Much of the Israeli intelligence report has been confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies… 

U.S. "Seriously Concerned" over Reports on Iran, United Press International, September 10 

The U.S. government is "seriously concerned" over Iran's efforts to acquire missiles and has expressed this concern to both Russia and China. State Department spokesman James Foley says Washington also worries about reports that Russian firms may be supplying weapons technology to Teheran.

German Firms Being Probed For Possible Sale of Arms To Iran, Dow Jones News, September 10 

COLOGNE—More than 10 German companies are under investigation for illegally selling Iran goods with potential military uses, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

The probe by Customs and Justice authorities began a year ago after investigators searched the Duesseldorf office of Defense Industries Organization, an Iranian agency for procuring armaments, said Customs spokesman Leonhard Bierl….

Under a 1995 European Union policy, a special permit is required for exporting dual-use goods. Bierl said Germany denies such permits if the goods are destined for so-called "threshold countries" like Iran, which has been accused of sponsoring terrorism….

Stern magazine this week reported that the items sold to Iran include aluminum poles that could be used for manufacturing weapons, as well as test equipment that could be used for installing gyroscopes and rocket targeting devices.

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