Iran–Iraq ceasefire takes effect

Iran declared Tudeh illegal and announced the expulsion of 18 Soviet diplomats, alleging interference in domestic affairs.

The USSR announced the expulsion of three Iranian diplomats after Tehran’s earlier expulsion of Soviet personnel, deepening bilateral tensions.

Iran announced plans to renew gas sales to the USSR after an interruption in deliveries.

The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 598 calling for an Iran–Iraq ceasefire and withdrawal to internationally recognized boundaries, with Soviet support.

Iran notified the UN Secretary-General of its acceptance of resolution 598, moving the peace process toward a ceasefire and easing a major obstacle to regional diplomacy.

Khomeini’s letter to Gorbachev challenged Marxist materialism and urged study of Islamic thought, while expressing interest in good-neighbourly relations. The exchange showed that diplomatic contact...

The USSR completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, removing a major source of tension with Iran without ending Afghanistan’s internal war.

Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze met Khomeini in Tehran and conveyed Gorbachev’s reply, combining discussion of their differing worldviews with renewed bilateral contact.

Iran and the USSR signed a programme of economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation extending to 2000, including a framework for military-technical ties.

Shevardnadze arrived in Tehran for discussions with president-elect Rafsanjani and other Iranian leaders on bilateral ties, Afghanistan and the Iran–Iraq peace process.