Secretary-General appeals against chemical weapons use

Resolution 552 condemned recent attacks on commercial ships sailing to and from Kuwaiti and Saudi ports. The Council’s response placed Gulf shipping attacks under scrutiny as the tanker war widened.

Saudi fighters engaged Iranian aircraft over the Gulf. The clash showed that the tanker conflict could draw Iran into direct combat with a state outside the main war.

Iran reported a deadly Iraqi air raid on Baneh in Iranian Kurdistan. The attack prompted threats of retaliation against Iraqi towns and cities.

Lord Molloy pressed for action through international institutions to end the war. The British government described efforts with Europe and the UN to prevent escalation.

A UN-mediated undertaking by Iran and Iraq to refrain from attacks on civilian population centers took effect. The agreement offered Iranian cities relief but did not end the wider war.

A Japanese-chartered tanker carrying Saudi oil was struck near the Strait of Hormuz. Reporting blamed Iran, illustrating the danger to third-country shipping and crews.

Ali Khamenei accused the Islamic Conference mediation committee of favoring Iraq, showing Iran’s distrust of a major regional peace channel.

Iran suspended ICRC protection activities for Iraqi prisoners after the Gorgan camp incident. The interruption reduced independent humanitarian access to captives.

The limited offensive marked a renewed Iranian attempt to improve positions without the scale of earlier assaults. It took place amid continued attacks on shipping and oil infrastructure, tying the...

Iranian prisoners of war were repatriated from Iraq through Ankara under ICRC auspices. The return brought selected captives home while the war continued.