Dear Steve ,
[qoute]I wonder if they are embargoed, or if there is no market in Iran for them ? [/qoute]
There is no market here for them (or better is to say there is a little market for them),most of the time engineers here have to solve their problem the way Payam has been choosen.
and other companys who import new chips ,usualy don't like their supplier to make the chip they "Just Found"! available to the whole market , even to the hobbyist .
maybe if they were developing the cihps they don't even sell them because they fear that maybe someone steal their "Effort"! .

Dear Russell ,
I also have heard this from others ,who mentioned the possibilty of soldering SMD parts with some care using standard soldering iron and a good tip ,but i haven't tried out this way yet.
anyway it Seems possible .

Best Regards :
Farsihd J.H.