News In Brief

Iraqi jets buzz Tehran as an aerial warning

Iraqi warplanes flew over Tehran Thursday, breaking the sound barrier and sending residents scrambling to shelters, but did not open fire, official Iranian and Iraqi news agencies said.

Iraq said the planes buzzed the Iranian capital to prove they could reach any target in Iran and as a warning against new Iranian attacks in the 40-month-old Gulf war.

Iran's national news agency, IRNA, said a number of Iraqi planes had flown over the city but quoted the military command as saying they were flying too high for any effective action against ground targets.