The pursuit through Tehran establishes the film’s atmosphere of danger and uncertainty. Alec is forced to rely on his intelligence training and quick reflexes as he attempts to escape his pursuers. The attack makes one fact clear: the terrorists have information about his arrival and are already monitoring his movements. Alec realizes that the organization he is investigating is far more powerful and well informed than he initially suspected.
After escaping the attempted assassination, Alec begins following the limited clues available to him. His investigation eventually takes him away from Tehran and toward Abadan. The journey becomes an important turning point in the story because Alec’s investigation intersects with a completely separate Soviet operation.
The Soviet government has discovered that one of its experimental cruise missiles has disappeared. Because the weapon is nuclear-capable and highly classified, Moscow cannot simply make a public announcement about the theft. Instead, Soviet intelligence sends agents to locate the weapon and determine who has stolen it.
