The Day in the Gulf

* PRESIDENT’S SPEECH: President Bush briefed his Cabinet before his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress expressing confidence about the battle against Iraq, optimism on the economy and asking Congress to support continuing action in the gulf.

* IRAQI JETS IN IRAN: The United States said it would shoot down any Iraqi planes trying to rejoin the war after taking refuge in Iran. The Pentagon said about 90 fighter-bombers and transport planes have fled to Iran. The White House said it received fresh assurances from Iran that Iraqi warplanes in Iran will not be allowed to rejoin the war.

* POWS AS SHIELDS: Iraq said an allied prisoner of war was killed in an air raid by coalition aircraft on a government building. The prisoner was not identified, and there was no independent confirmation. Iraq said earlier it was moving captured pilots to strategic sites as human shields.

* IRAQI CONVOY HIT: Allied warplanes caught an Iraqi convoy moving across open desert in southern Iraq and destroyed 24 tanks, armored personnel carriers and supply vehicles. Allied planes carried out 2,600 sorties. Another Iraqi MIG-23 was reported shot down.

* THE OIL SPILL: The flow of oil into the Persian Gulf has stopped and the giant slick appears to be breaking up, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said. A Saudi environmental official said teams have been dispatched to rescue wildlife and survey the general impact on turtles, birds and coral reefs.

* ATTACKS ON ISRAEL: Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens predicted that Iraqi missile attacks on Israel would end within a month. He did not say whether he expects U.S.-led air strikes to stop the missiles or that he was referring to possible Israeli action.