MOSCOW. Apr .3: US Defence Secretary William Perry stepped up pressure on Russia Monday to scrap its planned sale of nuclear reactors to Iran, but there was no Indication the government intended to for go the highly profitable deal, reports AP

"Our first objective is to stop the sale." Perry told reporters , before meeting Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev and other government officials.

In an hour-long one-on-one session with Grachev at the Ministry of Defense, Perry made the Clinton administration's case against the reactor deal. Afterward. Grachev told reporters it was not a matter for his ministry to decide.

•Perry was expected to discuss it further In a meeting later Monday with Prime Minister Viktor 'Chernomyrdin. Perry was not scheduled to see President Boris Yeltsin.

In his remarks to reporters before talking to Grachev. Perry hinted that he saw an uphill battle in trying to-persuade the Russians not to complete the deal.

'The sale is a very big economic factor for them." he said, "it would be a very hard decision for them to make" to give up the estimated dlrs 1 billion in earnings.

Perry said Washington was opposed to the reactor deal even if Russia worked out strict controls on how Iran would manage the reactors' spent fuel, some of which Could, with sufficient technical know how. be used to make nuclear weapons.

"Restraints Would not give me the comfort factor of simply hot having the reactor" in Iran's hands. Perry said. 1 adding that Iran has no real need for the reactors.

"The country Is awash in oil. Perry said, and thus can

meet its electricity generating requirements without supple-.menting it with nuclear power. "So one starts off being suspicious of why they want nuclear reactors". ,

There is a strong feeling in Moscow that Washington's objections are rooted in a desire to stop Russia from regaining a foothold in the Middle Eastern marketplace. That sentiment was expressed Sunday by Russia's atomic energy minister.

The United Slates controlled the (nuclear technology) market for 40 years. Viktor Mikhailov, said In a television interview. “Now no one wants us to earn money, too." , Mikhailov also said Iran "could not possibly be a nation of terrorists."

The United States contends Iran is clandestinely pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, < although the Iranian government Insists its nuclear pro-grawtme is strictly eWitian.