Next Step: Military Action

An end of goatskins, rugs and patience

With Iran showing no sign of yielding up the hostages, Jimmy Carter made it plain last week that he was closer than ever to taking military action. At his press conference the President icily announced his latest "nonviolent but punitive steps" and warned: "If this additional set of sanctions and the concerted action of our allies is not successful, then the only next step available that I can see would be some sort of military action, which is the prerogative and the right of the U.S. under these circumstances." The steps will squeeze Iran, but only slightly. He ordered a ban on:

-- Financial transfers between the U.S. and Iran, except for journalists and members of the hostages' families.

-- Imports from Iran, which once totaled $3 billion a year but have been reduced to a sprinkling of dates, goatskins and Persian rugs.

-- Travel by Americans to Iran, except for journalists. (At week's end Barbara Timm, mother of Hostage Kevin Hermening, defied the ban by flying to Tehran; the Administration made no effort to stop her.)

In addition, $300 million worth of military equipment purchased by Iran but impounded because of the hostage crisis will be turned over to the U.S. Defense Department or sold to other countries. Carter also will ask for legislation to use some of the $8 billion in Iranian assets that he froze in November to make reparations to the hostages and their families and to reimburse the U.S. for the $500 million a year it costs to maintain a naval task force in the Indian Ocean.

Carter considered taking two other steps against Iran. One was to ban food and drug sales, which are minuscule; the other was to seek an international ban on Iran's telecommunications with the outside world. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance argued vigorously against both moves in a last-minute appeal to the President, who finally agreed to postpone them.

Last week Carter also vowed that he would never "apologize to terrorists" for U.S. conduct in Iran as a means of helping to free the hostages. If his hand is forced, Carter is considering the mining of Iranian ports and trade routes and views this as preferable to a naval blockade. Explains a top Carter adviser: "If we blockade, we may have to fire on a ship and the potential for miscalculation is high. If you mine, you don't make the mistake yourself. We have no doubt of our ability to do it and to keep the ports closed. Even if the Iranians cranked up their F-14s, we'd certainly shoot them down." qed

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