Navy Beefs Up Forces in Face of Iran Threats : 9 Warships Spotted Escorting 4 Gulf Tankers; Missile Slams Into Baghdad, Kills Civilians

The United States deployed unprecedented sea and air safeguards Sunday as a new convoy of Navy-escorted tankers steamed through the Persian Gulf. The precautions were apparently sparked by concerns that Iran may launch a retaliatory strike at U.S.-flagged shipping.

In the Iran-Iraq War, Iran sent a huge missile slamming into a residential area of Baghdad, killing a number of civilians, while Iraqi warplanes attacked an Iranian oil tanker, killing two crewmen.

Concern over the safety of U.S. shipping in the gulf has been escalating since Sept. 21, when U.S. helicopters attacked an Iranian vessel, the Iran Ajr, as it reportedly was laying mines in the gulf north of Bahrain. Fears were heightened after last Thursday’s attack on four Iranian gunboats by U.S. helicopters and the subsequent discovery that Iran had obtained U.S. Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

Those fears were plainly evident Sunday as a new convoy of U.S.-flagged ships steamed through the Strait of Hormuz and began the 550-mile journey to Kuwait.

4 Tankers in Convoy

The convoy, the 11th since the United States agreed to reflag 11 Kuwaiti oil tankers, consisted of four tankers: the Gas King, Gas Princess, the Sea Isle City and the Ocean City.

A Navy spokesman maintained throughout the day Sunday that the convoy was accompanied by only three Navy frigates and a fourth vessel, the amphibious landing ship Mount Vernon, making its first appearance in the gulf.

But television film crews who have chartered private helicopters to keep track of the convoy found the security to be about twice what the Pentagon admitted.

Footage clearly showed two Navy tugboats leading the convoy dragging anti-mine equipment. The tugs were followed by a warship, the four tankers and four more warships. Two other warships guarded the convoy’s flanks--a total of nine warships.

For the first time, reporters saw Marine Corps helicopter gunships patrolling the perimeters of the convoy. In addition, Navy Cobra gunships buzzed press helicopters and ordered them to stay five miles from the convoy. Previously, the press was kept two miles away.

Iran has vowed retaliation for the capture of the Iran Ajr and Thursday’s attack on the gunboats, in which one was sunk and two others were disabled, saying the United States has embroiled itself in another Vietnam.

Western experts have tended to discount the threats, suggesting that they are intended more to influence the debate in Congress over whether the War Powers Resolution should be invoked.

The only recorded incident against U.S.-flagged ships so far was during the first voyage, when the supertanker Bridgeton hit a mine near Farsi Island, in the northern part of the gulf.

In Baghdad, an Iranian missile, believed to be a long-range, Soviet-made Scud B, was fired into the city late Saturday night, causing a huge explosion that awakened residents for miles.

Civilians Killed

Iran claimed that the missile hit a military garrison, but an Iraqi military spokesman said it hit a residential area, killing a number of civilians. Baghdad was hit by two Iranian missiles last Monday.

Iran said the latest attack was in retaliation for Iraq’s recent use of chemical weapons against Iranian troops.

Iraq reported having attacked and hit two ships off the Iranian coast.

Shipping sources confirmed only one of the claims, saying the 239,435-ton Liberian-flagged tanker Rova was extensively damaged by the Iraqi attack. Two crewmen were killed and four others were reported missing after the Rova was hit while traveling to the Iranian oil export terminal at Kharg Island, in the northern Gulf.

The crew abandoned ship just south of the Kharg Island area, the sources said.