AIRCRAFT ATTACK IRANIAN OIL RIGS IN SOUTHERN GULF
Unidentified jets attacked three Iranian
oil rigs in the southern Gulf early on Monday, setting at least
one of them ablaze, regional shipping sources said.
    Earlier today in Washington, U.S. Television networks had
reported that American forces launched a retaliatory strike
against Iran late Sunday, attacking two Iranian offshore oil
drilling platforms and setting them ablaze.
    The shipping sources said Iran's Sassan, Rostam and Rakhsh
offshore oilfields were attacked at 0700 local (0300 GMT) by a
wave of jet fighter bombers. Smoke was seen spiralling up from
the Rostam field soon after.
    At least one of the other two targets was also believed to
be ablaze, the sources said.
    The Sassan and Rostam fields have been targets for Iraqi
air strikes in the past, but Baghdad had not reported any
southern Gulf missions prior to news of the latest attack.
    Shipping and military sources in the region have said Iran
used its southern Gulf rigs as bases to launch helicopter and
later speedboat attacks on neutral ships in the waterway.
    U.S. Officials had been meeting on a response since Friday
when an attack on a Kuwaiti port severely damaged a
U.S.-flagged ship. President Reagan said on Sunday he had
already made a decision on the U.S. Response to Friday's Iran
attack but would not say what the decision was.
 REUTER
