IRAN AND IRAQ IN QUEST OF PEACE

This article, written in late 1988, analyzes the complex dynamics surrounding the end of the Iran-Iraq War and the difficult quest for a lasting peace. It examines the factors that finally compelled both sides to accept the UN-brokered ceasefire (Security Council Resolution 598), including military exhaustion, economic devastation, and internal political pressures. The study assesses the immediate challenges to consolidating the peace, such as the exchange of prisoners of war, the demarcation of the disputed border, and the question of war reparations. The research analyzes the respective negotiating positions of Tehran and Baghdad and the critical role of the United Nations in mediating the post-war settlement. The paper concludes by offering a prognosis on the likelihood of a durable peace, arguing that while the active fighting had stopped, the deep-seated mistrust and unresolved political grievances that caused the war remained, posing a significant threat to long-term regional stability.

After eight years of devastating conflict, the Iran-Iraq War finally came to an end in August 1988 with the acceptance of a UN-brokered ceasefire. This paper examines the fragile "quest for peace" that followed. The analysis begins by dissecting the reasons behind the war's conclusion, arguing that it was less a victory for either side than a case of mutual exhaustion. It details the immense human and economic costs of the war and the internal pressures that finally led Ayatollah Khomeini to "drink the chalice of poison" by accepting the ceasefire. The core of the study focuses on the immediate post-war challenges and the difficult negotiations conducted under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. It examines the key sticking points in the talks, including the dispute over the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which had been one of the original casus belli. The paper also analyzes the complex issue of prisoners of war and the deep-seated animosity and suspicion that permeated the negotiations. The findings suggest that the transition from a mere absence of fighting to a genuine and lasting peace would be a long and arduous process. The paper concludes with a cautious outlook, suggesting that while the ceasefire was a momentous achievement, the fundamental sources of rivalry between the two regional powers had not been resolved, leaving the future of Gulf security uncertain.