Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – January 21, 1987

I woke up before the call to prayer. I recited Nafila Shab and prayed for the victory of the warriors and recited a part of Surah Al-Ahzab which is related to war.

Although according to the principles and opinion of the Imam, we are right in this war and we are fighting for Islam and the enemy has started and continues the war to suppress Islam, but the devil does not give up on humans, and sometimes when a large number of people are killed in the war, or I come across a large number of veterans in hospitals, or I see a large number of prisoners on both sides who have been in captivity for years, the temptation is that Muslims are being killed and suffering on both sides. It annoys people and with some thinking and reasoning, I repel this temptation; Probably others feel the same way.

Especially, this temptation appears in times, when it comes from a sense of weakness or difficulty in the work of war. The problems of yesterday's advance and the air pressure on the cities and civilian people have affected my spirit and this morning I am depressed and sad. Maybe because after months of trying and preparing everything for the decisive operation to end the war and now seeing the signs of failure to achieve this goal in this operation.

This morning, the Voice of America radio, by admitting our advance, insidiously exaggerating our casualties and understating Iraq's casualties - contrary to reality - instilled a kind of failure. It is known that they are worried about the possible fall of Basra and as a result the victory of Islam and the weakening or defeat of the Baath in Iraq, and they insidiously strengthen his morale.

I negotiated with Mr. Kharazi to fight against this deviant line of propaganda. It was decided to bring it up in an interview with foreign journalists who are coming today. Mr. Rafiq Dost said that last night we made progress in consolidating the line. I spoke on the phone with modesty at home and greeted him.

Mr. [Moussa] Refan, the commander of the IRGC Air Force, came. He said that the missile unit did not need the help of Libya and others and fired a few missiles on their own and asked for permission to do so in one

Two missiles hit Saddam's palace in a row. I agreed; Because the Iraqis have not announced that they attacked Tehran with the intention of bombing Jamaran. It was decided to establish a Chinese surface-to-air missile site in Isfahan, and I insisted to Mr. Riyazi to get a new missile.

In the evening, the commanders of the [18th Independent] Al-Ghadir Brigade, [33rd] Al-Mahdi Division and [31st] Ashura Division came. They gave a report of recent operations and successes and casualties. Then we went outside the city of Ahvaz. Iraqi planes attacked Ahvaz and hit several rockets, one of them disintegrated and fell on Ahvaz, but they dropped a bomb on the golf course.

At night, the commanders of the Ramadan camp came. They told about the readiness of the Iraqi opposition military forces to carry out the operation and requested their help to open the way. We talked on the phone with Mr. [Ayatollah] Khamenei about the war and the result of Mr. Velayati's trip to Libya, which was negative, and the plan to say Takbeer on the rooftops to confirm the war. Several of our cities have been attacked by air

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