Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – August 8, 1988

I was at home. It was reported in the news that the ceasefire date will be announced tonight by the Secretary General. Mehdi informed that the troops have been transferred to the northwest and asked to know whether we have an operation or not, and if we don't have it, he will return. Yasir said that his battalion is going to the line and protested that if it is an operation, why didn't we tell him to go. I said we don't have a plan and they are going to defend.

Mr. Abdullah Nouri [the Imam's representative in Jihad Sazandegi] came. He mentioned some of the ideas of the organization of the armed forces that he had in mind and announced his readiness to start working on the general plan of the armed forces.

Mr. Ray Shahri [Information Minister] came. One of his officers reported from the negotiations with the Americans that they are willing to release our blocked property in exchange for the release of the hostages and support our views in Resolution [598] and allow American factories to sell our weapons needs through intermediary countries. The issue was decided to be raised in the meeting of the heads of forces. He discussed the problems of the Ministry of Information. Mr. Sayad Shirazi came in the evening. He gave a report on the military situation of the western and northwestern fronts and the internal security situation of Kurdistan and made suggestions.

Mr. [Syed Mohammad] Khatami had prepared a statement for the announcement of the ceasefire, which in my opinion was too detailed and should be shortened. Tonight, the Secretary General of the United Nations is going to announce the time of the ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war. It was reported that there was a fire in the [munitions] factory of 107 Shahid Bagheri IRGC and mini-Katyusha bullets were being thrown around. At the end of the night, Mr. Mohsen Rafiq Dost informed that the fire was extinguished.