Events for 16 October 1996 0400-1200 hrs Current Weather: 45 degrees, Clear skies Trend Constant: O Weather Trend: Staying clear with a high of 60 and a low near 40 tomorrow. 0400 - The Russian MOD announced today that it was beginning overflights of Iranian territory. Although the Ministry spokeman was vague about the number of aircraft participating in this latest escalation of tensions betwwen the two neighbors, some MOD sources claim the numbers are into the hundreds. Meanwhile a CNN reporter broadcast that radio transmissions were difficult because of the immense amount of electronic "dirt" in the air, a clear indication of a major Russian aerial operation. 0500 - The Iraninan MOD responded to the escalation by announcing it was sending a large anti aircraft brigade as well as a sizable air force into the region. Iran responded to overnight news reports that the Iranian Army was ammassing large numbers of troops in its northern border region by claiming its rights to secure borders. The Iranian foreign ministry, holding a simultaneous news conference in Tehran, announced that it was calling for an emergency meeting of the Arab league to drum up support for a trans-arab response to the Russian threat, as well as calls for a United resolution dealing with the latest crisis. 0600 - A BBC world service radio broadcast stated that a reporter saw large numbers of Iranian tanks and AFVs heading out of Tabriz late last night heading north towards the border. The report also said that many highways heading north were dotted with military checkpoints and that civilian traffic except forpublic transit and agricultural transport were being turned back. 0700 - A Russian radio broadcast beginning with somber military musuic announced a general mobilization of its ground and air forces, a redundant exercize since the Russian callup has been known throughout the world when Tehran announced its concern with the Russian callup. A Russian MOD announcement delivered to Interfax news agency stated unequivocally that Russian would not attend any NATO meeting held to discuss the matter of the Iranian help for Muslim guerillas operating in the CIS southern states. The announcement was unexpected since there had been up to this date no indication that NATO would discuss this matter at any meeting, planned or otherwise. However, most of the Nato organization refused to comment about tensions, except to express wishes that a peaceful solution could be reached between the two sides.