Soviets, Iran fail to sign gas deal

A Soviet delegation has left Iran without reaching agreement on the export price of Iranian gas, supplied for the last 10 years to the Soviet Union, Iranian government leaders said. President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr told reporters after a meeting of the ruling Revolutionary Council that the Soviets could not accept the five-fold price increase sought by Iran. The Soviet delegation, which held four rounds of unsuccessful talks during a week-long visit to Iran, offered to pay about 3 1/2 times more than the price it paid during the deposed Shah's rule.