IRAN PRESIDENT DOUBTS U.S. ACTION AGAINST IRAN
Iranian President Ali Khamenei said he
doubted the U.S. Was in position to take violent action against
Iran in the Gulf, Tehran Radio reported.
    The U.S. Government "is in a very difficult situation now
and it is not clear if it has the necessary elements for a
violent action," the radio quoted him as saying in an interview
with the English language daily Tehran Times.
    In Washington, President Ronald Reagan said he had decided
on a response to Iran, which the Americans blame for two
missile attacks on U.S.-related tankers in Kuwaiti waters last
week, but declined to say what the response was.
    Khamenei said the U.S. Government had to take some action
to demonstrate its authority, "but on the other hand any violent
act in the Persian Gulf will greatly harm long-term U.S.
Interests," the radio, monitored in Nicosia, reported.
    On efforts for a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war, Khamenei
said: "Declaration of the aggressor and a ceasefire should be
concurrent. Formation of a panel to determine the aggressor
necessarily preceeds the ceasefire."
    He also rejected a peace-keeping committee or a buffer
force as instruments to implement a July 20 U.N. Security
Council order for a ceasefire in the seven-year-old Gulf war.
 REUTER
