VOL. XXXI

NO. 1

12-OCTOBER-1987

The Middle East Situation

Less than three weeks after their first direct clash, the Americans andIranians have collided again in the Gulf. The sinking of three Iranianspeedboats by US navy helicopters was the last of several incidents in the pastweek which have heightened tensions still further, and left Iran under evengreater pressure to find some way of responding. So far, however, the crisis hasshowed an elastic capacity to continue intensifying without reaching...