WASHINGTON. Sept 8: Russia Is restating Clinton administration appeals to cancel its planned sale of up to four nuclear reactors to Iran, but the State Department is urging Congress not to with hold US aid as punishment, reports AP.

Eventually, the administration hopes to persuade Moscow with strategic and economic arguments. American diplomats have been telling Russian officials for months that It Is dangerous to provide nuclear technology to Tehran and that Iran cannot afford to pay for it anyhow.

A Russian delegation is due here next week and the administration hopes to break through then. But several previous attempts, including at President Clinton's summit with President Boris Yeltsin in May. have all failed.

Yeltsin agreed when he saw Clinton to Moscow to cancel sale of gas centrifuge

equipment that can be used to make nuclear weapons. But since then, the prospect of selling Iran one or two reac tors has gone up to four reactors. US officials said Thursday the type still was unclear.

In the meantime, the Russians have been evasive on the kinds of reactors they may sell to Iran. "We'd like them to come clean." said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We don't want any modern technology going to Iran. But certain things should be ruled out right away, like the centrifuges were." he said.

On the overall problem, the official said "we never expected this thing to turn around right away. We know the Russians are quite dug in." But he said the administration hoped to convince Moscow that Iran was "not a good financial partner."

Congress .is impatient, and some members may try to block aid programs in re-

uiliation. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who chairs the appropriations' subcommittee on foreign operations, has threatened to block an administration proposal to spend about 250 million dollars in aid if the reactor deal goes through.

State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns called such threats unwise.

"US aid to Russia serves US interests." he said, "and our assistance is and has 'been in this administration and in the past administration designed to help foster a democratic Russia, a Russia that can make a transition successfully to market economics."

Administration analysts are convinced Iran is determined to develop a nuclear program, even though Tehran has signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. These analysts say Iran appears to be about 10 years away from turning out nuclear weapons.