Italian port-debt dispute reaches compromise

Iran and Iraq began returning sick and wounded prisoners under ICRC supervision. The operation brought some captives home but did not resolve the fate of all war prisoners.

The prisoner exchange was halted amid disagreement over its terms. The interruption showed how humanitarian returns remained vulnerable to disputes between the governments.

Britain reopened its Tehran embassy after the agreement to restore full relations. A functioning embassy marked a practical step beyond the earlier ministerial accord.

Velayati wrote to the ICRC president alleging that Iraq had failed to return some sick and wounded Iranian prisoners under the November agreement.

The Christian Science Monitor reported foreign firms seeking Iranian reconstruction contracts, with damaged energy facilities among the priorities.

Resolution 631 continued UNIIMOG’s mandate to monitor the ceasefire and withdrawal. Iran’s border security remained subject to international observation.

Iraq’s Tariq Aziz said the UN-led meetings had not produced real negotiations. His assessment highlighted continued deadlock after the ceasefire, rather than a new outbreak of war.

President Ali Khamenei called for reconstruction and scientific research while marking the revolution’s tenth anniversary. His promises were policy aspirations.

Iran and Turkey agreed to expand 1989 trade to $2 billion after a visit by Mousavi and Heavy Industry Minister Behzad Nabavi. Commercial ties offered a channel for reconstruction imports.

A planned meeting of Iranian and Iraqi military officers to review the ceasefire was postponed indefinitely, according to Iraq’s news agency. The delay concerned implementation after fighting had...