World Notes the Gulf

In the six-year war between Iran and Iraq, the Soviet Union has been Iraq's chief arms supplier. Last week Soviet ships for the first time became Iranian targets. As it steamed up the Persian Gulf, the Soviet freighter Pyotr Yemtsov was seized by Iranian gunships. The vessel was searched and released after 36 hours, when its cargo proved to be construction materials for Kuwait rather than supplies for Iraq. A second Soviet ship, the Tutov, was stopped briefly in the gulf and then allowed to continue.

The seizures came as speculation grew that the regime of Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini was readying its long-awaited "final offensive." During the week, Iran launched a new ground attack across the Iraqi border in the north and used frogmen to sabotage an Iraqi offshore radar station.

Still, Western experts were surprised by the Iranian ship seizures, which came as relations between Tehran and Moscow seemed to be improving. When Iran resumed natural-gas sales to the Soviet Union two weeks ago, the move was seen as a triumph for Iranian diplomacy.

Moscow's response to the boardings was muted. Western diplomats said the Soviets were apparently willing to let the incidents pass because both detained ships were released and their crews were unharmed.