U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
                                             DPB # 77
TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2001  12:45 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

Q:  The Middle East, but another country?  There will be an election of
-- a presidential election in Iran on Friday, and today the incumbent
President, Mohammed Khatami, said that he ruled out any restoration of
the relation with the United States until Washington ends its sanctions
against Iran.
So do you see any prospects for better relations between the two
countries?
MR. BOUCHER:  As you know, our practice is to try to avoid, wherever
possible, getting involved in other people's elections, and I think
that applies particularly to Iranian elections.  So rather than try to
make sweeping statements about the relationship at this juncture, I
think I will just decline.
Q:  Can I just follow up on that?  It's kind of related, but in the
next month we are pushing to finalize the sanctions against Iraq.  One
of those issues is smuggling on border states.
Has there been any contact between US officials in New York and
officials in Iran to talk about smuggling potentially there, even
though there's - there is a rivalry, obviously?
MR. BOUCHER:  I don't know.  I have to check.