▁the ▁S ovi ets : ▁" I ▁had ▁first ▁met ▁the ▁Shah ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁when ▁I ▁visited ▁Te h ran ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁permission ▁to ▁place ▁some ▁s oph istic ated ▁intercept ▁equipment ▁in ▁northern ▁Iran ." ▁ ▁A ▁" ce le br ated " ▁story ▁was ▁told ▁in ▁el ite ▁circles ▁about ▁Hel ms ' ▁appointment . ▁The ▁Soviet ▁amb assador ▁had ▁said ▁with ▁a ▁s ne er , ▁to ▁Am ir ▁Abb as ▁H ove y da ▁the ▁sh ah ' s ▁prime ▁minister , ▁" We ▁hear ▁the ▁Americans ▁are ▁sending ▁their ▁Number ▁One ▁sp y ▁to ▁Iran ." ▁H ove y da ▁replied , ▁" The ▁Americans ▁are ▁our ▁friends . ▁At ▁least ▁they ▁don ' t ▁send ▁us ▁their ▁Number ▁Ten ▁sp y ." ▁Hel ms , ▁for ▁his ▁part , ▁referred ▁to ▁H ove y da ▁as ▁" I ran ' s ▁most ▁consum mate ▁politician ." ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁the ▁C IA ▁had ▁operated ▁extensive ▁technical ▁install ations ▁to ▁monitor ▁Soviet ▁air ▁traffic ▁across ▁Iran ' s ▁northern ▁border . ▁Also ▁the ▁C IA , ▁along ▁with ▁M oss ad ▁and ▁USA ID , ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁had ▁trained ▁and ▁supported ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁Iran ian ▁intelligence ▁and ▁police ▁ag ency ▁S AV AK . ▁Further ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁the ▁C IA ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁assist ing ▁Iran ▁with ▁its ▁project ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁Kur