(2 of 3)
In the meantime, both Iran and Iraq bombed civilian targets on the ground. Iraq mounted a raid on the northern Iranian border town of Baneh, killing several hundred people who had gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the 1963 riots against the Shah. In response, Iran sent shells crashing into Iraq's beleaguered port of Basra; Iraq retaliated by hitting the Iranian oil city of with a single missile, killing twelve people. Some observers thought the activity was a prelude to another, long-awaited &quoet;human wave" offensive by Iran, a view reinforced by a decloration of Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini that last Tuesday would be remembered as "an epic day." But the day passed without any sign of the Iranian offensive.
According to some reports from Tehran, the ayatullahs favor an offensive along the entire 700-mile border. The Iranian military thinks that such a drive would be suicidal, but it may take place anyway. As of late last week, U.S. satellite information suggested that Iran still needed a few days in which to complete its preparations for such an onslaught.
If it comes, it will be met by some highly sophisticated Iraqi weaponry. According to accounts from Baghdad, the Soviet Union has supplied Iraq with air-to-surface missiles capable of hitting Kharg Island and other targets deep within Iran. The Iraqis reportedly also have received the Soviet SS-12 missile, which has a range of 500 miles, as well as 5,000 cluster bombs from Chile.
It was in this highly charged atmosphere last week that Saudi Arabia finally, and reluctantly, fought back. Despite their arsenal of 130 sophisticated aircraft, including 60 American-made F-15s, the Saudis had been thought to be fearful of provoking Iran into a wider war and uneasy about the ability of their own inexperienced pilots.
According to U.S. officials, the two Iranian F-4 Phantom jets, which were supplied to Iran by the U.S. in the days of the Shah, took off from their base at Bushire shortly before noon last Tuesday. On the prowl for likely naval targets, they flew down the gulf near the Saudi island of Al Arabiyah, where they ran straight into a patrol of Saudi F-15 planes. Highflying U.S. AWACS planes had tracked the Iranian jets across the gulf, then Saudi coastal radar picked them up when they came within range. With the Saudi technician aboard the AWACS plane relaying information and guiding his own fighters, the two Saudi F-15s intercepted the less-advanced F-4s, and the fight took place.
The U.S. was relieved that the Saudis had met the challenge. The Reagan Administration had evoked considerable congressional resentment two weeks ago by using its emergency powers to rush 400 Stinger missiles to Saudi Arabia. But it was not prepared to do the same for Kuwait, a gulf state with which the U.S. has had frequent disagreements. Though Kuwait's refineries and desalinization plants are painfully exposed, the White House turned down Kuwait's request to buy 500 Stingers.