IRAN PLANS TO FILE LAWSUITS OVER U.S. RAID Iran is preparing lawsuits to file for compensation from the U.S. Over the American raid on its Gulf oil platforms, Tehran radio quoted Iranian Oil Minister Gholamreza Aqazadeh as saying. The lawsuits would be filed with competent international bodies once the exact damage was calculated, he was quoted telling a news conference in Tehran. He earlier estimated the damage from the U.S. Raid at about 500 mln dlrs. The rigs, one of which was heavily shelled by four American destroyers on Monday, were still burning almost 24 hours after the attack, he said. Aqazadeh said the half-billion-dollar damage estimate was preliminary. Washington has said the attack was in response to a missile strike against the American-flag tanker the Sea Isle City in Kuwaiti waters on Friday. He denied that there was any military hardware on the rigs "except a 23 mm machinegun for air defence." Reacting to Weinberger's remark that Washington considered the case closed, Aqazadeh said: "Iran will also consider the case closed after its retaliatory measure." Iranian officials have said their response would not be limited to the Gulf and U.S. Interests around the world might come under attack. Aqazadeh said the U.S. Military presence in the Gulf aggravated the regional crisis and made access to the region's oil more difficult, but he did not see the U.S. Attack significantly affecting oil prices. IRNA said he gave no explicit reply when asked if the attack would prompt Iran to block the Hormuz Strait at the entrance to the Gulf. "If Iran cannot use the Hormuz Strait, no other country can either, and this would be to everyone's harm," the radio quoted him as saying.