MOSCOW. May 4: Key Kremlin officials have reaffirmed Russia's intent to proceed with the sale of nuclear reactors to Iran, brushing aside mounting pressure from Washington in the runup to next week's Moscow summit, reports AP.

"We will stick to our position."' Deputy Foreign Minister Albert Chernyshov told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday. "In this case we are right in every respect."

President Borts Yeltsin's spokesman. Sergei Medvedev, echoed those comments, although he hipted at a possible compromise aimed at easing US fears that the sale would help Iran develop nuclear weapons.

President Clinton has called Russia's planned 1 billion dollars reactor deal "deeply dis.

lurbtng." It Ik expected to be a major sore point in his talks with Yeltsin on May 10-11 in Moscow.

Yeltsin Is "well aware of US concern about the plans to build a nuclear power plant in Iran." Medvedev told Interfax.

But he said the plans meet provisions of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN agency the monitors compliance.

Medvedev also hinted that Yeltsin could offer a compromise- during the summit in an effort to "erase US doubts." but he did not- elaborate. \ •

Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said last week that the deal would not be cancelled.