Iran Says Other Countries Aided Iraqi Air Raid

TEHRAN —  Iranian President Ali Khamenei says a long-range Iraqi air raid on Iran’s Larak oil export terminal was made possible by the use of bases and airports provided by “reactionary countries,” Tehran radio reported Saturday.

He did not name the countries but said, “As long as this help continues, Iran considers them on a par with Iraq and will give them the appropriate response.”

Aviation sources in the Middle East said Iraqi aircraft landed at an airport on the east coast of Saudi Arabia on the way back from attacking Larak island at the mouth of the Persian Gulf on Tuesday.

The sources said the planes, believed to be French-built F-1C multi-role attack aircraft, refueled in flight on the way to Larak, 780 miles from Iraq, but failed to refuel on the way back and were forced to land.

The head of Iran’s war information headquarters said Thursday that the Iraqi jets must have used “others’ facilities” because Iranian radar had not detected any mid-air refueling over the gulf Tuesday afternoon.

Three tankers were set ablaze in the raid, and Iran’s national news agency said 10 people were slightly injured.

Islamic Republic newspaper, quoting an Iranian news agency report, said Saturday that two Mirage aircraft mounted the raid and dropped five bombs, three of which missed the targets and sank into the gulf.

The paper said a fire on the tanker Tabriz, which was carrying 8 million gallons of fuel, was brought under control by the crew within hours.

Tehran radio said the head of a United Nations team of military experts stationed in Tehran visited residential areas of the western cities of Bakhtaran and Eslam Abad-e Gharb, which were damaged by Iraqi air raids earlier this week.

Iran had demanded the inspection in a note to U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar following a surge of Iraqi air strikes on Iranian cities.