Iran is preparing lawsuits to file forcompensation from the U.S. Over the American raid on its Gulf
oil platforms, Tehran radio quoted Iranian Oil Minister
Gholamreza Aqazadeh as saying.
    The lawsuits would be filed with competent international
bodies once the exact damage was calculated, he was quoted
telling a news conference in Tehran. He earlier estimated the
damage from the U.S. Raid at about 500 mln dlrs.
    The rigs, one of which was heavily shelled by four American
destroyers on Monday, were still burning almost 24 hours after
the attack, he said.
    Aqazadeh said the half-billion-dollar damage estimate was
preliminary. Washington has said the attack was in response to
a missile strike against the American-flag tanker the Sea Isle
City in Kuwaiti waters on Friday.
    He denied that there was any military hardware on the rigs
"except a 23 mm machinegun for air defence." Reacting to
Weinberger's remark that Washington considered the case closed,
Aqazadeh said: "Iran will also consider the case closed after
its retaliatory measure." Iranian officials have said their
response would not be limited to the Gulf and U.S. Interests
around the world might come under attack.
    Aqazadeh said the U.S. Military presence in the Gulf
aggravated the regional crisis and made access to the region's
oil more difficult, but he did not see the U.S. Attack
significantly affecting oil prices.
    IRNA said he gave no explicit reply when asked if the
attack would prompt Iran to block the Hormuz Strait at the
entrance to the Gulf.
    "If Iran cannot use the Hormuz Strait, no other country can
either, and this would be to everyone's harm," the radio quoted
him as saying.
 REUTER
