Reagan Attacks Iran Offensive

WASHINGTON — President Reagan today condemned Iran’s offensive in its war with Iraq and declared that the United States regards the expansion of the fighting as a “major threat” to its interests in the Persian Gulf.

In a written statement, Reagan said the United States remains “determined to ensure the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz” at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. “We also remain strongly committed to supporting the individual and collective self-defense of our friends in the gulf, with whom we have deep and longstanding ties,” Reagan said.