Iraq declared that all ships going to or from Iranian ports in the northern zone of the Persian Gulf were subject to attack.

The rigs are well outside the exclusion zone established by Iran to keep ships other than those doing business in Iranian ports from approaching its shores.

Then they are carried down to the Iranian port of Pahlevi.

I would not even want it to enter an Iranian port or any other Islamic port.

One frigate that had been damaged was in an Iranian port today, officials said, while the other has disappeared and is presumed sunk.

Immediately after the start of the occupation, soldiers looted goods from the Iranian ports, including water faucets, and had them transferred to Basra.

It is the only Iranian port with direct access to ocean.

Even the option of supplying material through the Iranian port of Chabahar was considered.

Instead, the 155- and 203-millimeter shells were shipped to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

Some experts said the action could eventually lead Iran to move Iraqi oil through its pipelines for loading onto ships in Iranian ports.