Events for 15 October 1996 
1200 to 2000 hrs 
 
1300 - Iranian Military intellegence found the Russian Transcaucasus Front was secretly ordered to full mobilization and was in the beginning stages of carrying out that 
order. 

1330 - Iranian Ministry of Defense appointed General Fariq Daneshvar to command the Iranian 4th Army.  In the same communique the Iranian MOD order full 
mobilization of all its reserves. 

1400 - The Russian MOD issued a warning to Iran that deploying forces closer than 40 miles of its border would be considered a hostile act and would be dealt with 
severely.  The MOD issued a statement that Marshal Vasilievskii would be appointed to command the defenses of the CIS southern border. MOD further stated that 
aircraft overflights into Iran were imminent and necessary.

1430 - Although news reports confirmed that the Iranian Army was beginning to move large armor columns north to the Russian border, it has been known for some time 
that the Russian had deployed 18 divisions in various states of readiness since August. A report on BBC world service said Russian MPs had established checkpoints 
along all major roads within 50 miles of the Iranian border.  Though this has been a feature of life in this part of the CIS since the Russian MOD warned Iran about
supporting transborder aid to renegade Islamic groups in the CIS, the roadblocks have been intesified to one every 20 miles and have in some cases featured strip 
searches of passengers in public and private vehicles.