	moscow says will retaliate against gulf attacks any iranian attack on soviet s in the gulf will bring a forceful and violent response a soviet foreign ministry official said in an interview published here alexander ivanov head of the gulf desk at the soviet foreign ministry told al rai al aam newspaper moscow will answer back with force and violence if iran attempts to attack any soviet  or tanker in the gulf a soviet tanker hit a mine in the gulf last month ivanov also accused the united states of stepping up the regional crisis and of failing to exert genuine efforts to end the iran iraq war reuter 
