Inside Report (5)

You'd think after three years, Iran would run out of US flags to burn.

But, lo and behold, Iranians burned some more during recent rallies in Tehran. It's unknown what stockpiles of Old Glory Iran had under the Shah. But since the takeover of the US Embassy, Iran's US flag reserves have been going up in smoke. US flagmakers, who don't export many flags anyway, are especially wary of selling to the Iranians. ''If anyone in the industry got an order from Iran, we wouldn't sell them because we know how they're going to end up,'' says the head of one US flag firm.

Where do the Iranians get their supply? A State Department official says that flagmakers there most likely make 'em. ''I would think it's a very simple thing to sew yourself,'' he says.