U.S. will attack Iran if hostile intent shown

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 8

U.S. will attack Iran if hostile intent shown

NZPA-Reuter Washington

The United States has given notice it will attack Iranian Silkworm missile sites if Iran shows intent to use the weapons against Kuwaiti oil tankers, soon to be under United States naval protection.

"The Silkworm is a weapon capable of causing considerable damage,” said the United States Defence Secretary', Caspar Weinberger, on Monday. “It is important that everyone understand that we would not have to wait until it actually hit us.”

Mr Weinberger said that United States warships and aircraft will begin escorting the first of 11 Kuwaiti tankers to carry United States flags

through the Gulf “imminently,” indicating the first escort could come as early as next week. Diplomats in Kuwait said the first American flag would be placed on a tanker next Monday or Tuesday and the protection would begin immediately.

The United States has charged Iran is preparing to mount the Chinese-built Silkworm anti-ship missiles, capable of carrying 453-kilo warheads, along the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf.

Mr Weinberger said the United States would not launch what he called a pre-emptive strike against the missiles, but was prepared to attack them if Iran showed hostile intent, such as locking Silkworm

targeting radar on to United States ships. Asked if the United States would shoot before it was shot, he replied: “Under certain circumstances, that is quite correct

“Nobody is talking about a pre-emptive strike. We are talking about responding to hostile intent” added Mr Weinberger, who said Iran had not yet mounted the missiles on mobile launchers but could do so within hours.

Diplomats in Kuwait said, the first ship to sail under a United States flag would be the 401,382-ton Bridgeton, a huge supertanker until recently called the al-Rekkah and now at anchor just outside the Gulf.