Both Iran, Iraq Attack Vessels in Persian Gulf

An Iranian gunboat fired on a tanker Wednesday, shipping officials reported, and Iraq said its warplanes raided a ship near the Tehran regime’s main oil-export terminal in the northern Persian Gulf.

In Baghdad, meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis marched in a 10-mile-long funeral procession for the victims--mostly children--of Tuesday’s Iranian missile attack. The long-range rocket exploded at a school, killing at least 32 people and wounding 218, according to official reports.

Crowds lining the funeral route chanted “Revenge! Revenge!” as officials promised retaliation.

In Washington, a House panel voted Wednesday to charge reflagged Kuwaiti tankers $500,000 for a round trip through the gulf under the protection of U.S. warships. The proposal, approved 32-7 by the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, faces several legislative hurdles.

In other developments, neutral Oman said it will serve as intermediary for the repatriation of four wounded Iranians rescued after last week’s U.S. helicopter attack on Iranian boats. Last month, it played the same role for 26 survivors after U.S. forces sank an Iranian vessel caught laying mines.

In the second reported Iranian strike at a tanker in two days, the 84,631-ton Liberian-flag Atlantic Peace was reported attacked off the southern gulf port of Dubai about 1,000 yards from the site where the Saudi Arabian Petroship B was hit Tuesday. Damage was reported as minor.

Salvage executives, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attacker in both cases appeared to have been an Iranian “warship” seen in the area.

Iran does not acknowledge that it has attacked commercial ships, but its armed speedboats and larger craft regularly retaliate for Iraqi air raids on tankers carrying Iranian oil.

The Iraqi communique said warplanes raided a “large naval target,” the customary term for a tanker, east of the Kharg Island oil terminal and scored “an effective and accurate hit.”