President Ends Convoys in Gulf for American-Flag Oil Tankers : Will Keep Forces in Area to Aid Threatened Ships

President Reagan decided today to end U.S. convoys of American-flagged ships in the Persian Gulf but will keep U.S. forces in the gulf to aid threatened ships, the White House announced.

Presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater told reporters that Reagan acted “after reviewing the current cease-fire . . . , which has been in effect since Aug. 20, and consulting with allies and friends in the region.”

There have been no attacks on gulf shipping since the cease-fire began.

Fitzwater said the President made the decision in Washington before leaving for New York, where he was to discuss the change with heads of state from the region.

Reagan, after a farewell speech to the U.N. General Assembly, had meetings set with Sheik Jabbar al Ahmed al Sabah, the ruling emir of Kuwait, and with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is headed by Saudi Arabia.

An ‘Accompany’ Regime

The President’s meeting with the sheik is the first since Jabbar came to power in 1976.

The convoy operation, begun 14 months ago, involved a precise Navy formation used to protect against potential Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti tankers re-registered under the U.S. flag.

“The modification entails a change from a ‘tight escort’ procedure to an ‘accompany’ regime,” Fitzwater said aboard Air Force One as Reagan flew to New York.

“In an ‘accompany’ regime, U.S. forces will be positioned such that they can take appropriate action if American-flagged ships are directly threatened,” Fitzwater said.

The spokesman said that even with the change, the United States “intends to maintain in the gulf the forces required to protect U.S.-flagged shipping and support our national objectives. These changes in no way alter our commitment to freedom of navigation in the gulf.”

No Reduction in Presence

The spokesman said the move is “the first step in the change of our presence. We will continue to review our presence in the gulf and will make changes as the threat diminishes.” For now, he said, the Navy will not reduce its presence in the gulf.

The United States has 26 ships in its Joint Task Force Middle East, including 17 in the Persian Gulf. As of Sept. 16, the Navy had conducted 85 convoy operations since the escorts began in July, 1987.

When asked whether the move could lead to normalization of relations with Iran, Fitzwater said, “We’ve always said we’re willing to talk to authorized Iranian officials.”

But he said that there have been no requests from Iran for a meeting and that there has been no news regarding the American hostages held in Lebanon.

The spokesman said that it will take a few days before the changes in gulf escorting take place and that there are no plans to make a formal announcement at that time.