Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 25, 1988

We woke up with Mr. Khamenei at half past four in the morning. We prayed and had the last words together. They stayed and I went to Bakhtran [= Kermanshah] by car with the bodyguards. We were supposed to go to Qalaja at the new ground force base, but they changed the plan. We had breakfast in the north of Andimeshk next to a river. At twelve o'clock, we entered the headquarters of Ramadan camp in Bakhtran.

I heard from the fronts. Mr. Mohsen Rezaei said, last night in Zayd region, we dealt a heavy blow to the Iraqis who were inside our territory. Three brigades have been destroyed and the enemy is not moving today. Mr. Hosni Saadi informed that the enemy has made a lot of efforts in Saleh Abad Serni area in Ilam and has made some progress and has also been hit and has left Abazar garrison, but he is in Gilan West. But IRGC sources say it is not, and it is retreating in the Somar region.

Mohsen [Hashmi] informed that the Sepah Sajil missile with a range of 130 km was successfully tested. Iraq has announced that tomorrow it will withdraw from occupied positions inside Iran. Of course, it is attacked by our fresh forces in all directions and is vulnerable.

Mr. Danesh Rad and Mr. Moghadam came from the Najaf camp and gave explanations about the recent Iraqi invasion of the Central Front and the shameful retreats and retreats of the army and some IRGC units; It is very unfortunate, to the extent that the nomadic people of the region stopped them on the roads and attacked them. I gave the order to quickly organize and direct the new forces that arrive. The main commanders of the IRGC are in the south.

Suddenly, the news came that Iraq had passed the Yataq Strait and was advancing towards Karand, and then it was announced that the forces were hypocrites. A little later, the news came that they had reached near Islamabad and were engaged. At night, Mr. Danesh Rad informed that the influential agents of the hypocrites have started a psychological war in Islamabad and have disturbed the people and the forces. The news is contradictory. Some say they reached Islamabad with tanks and personnel carriers, and some say they are their infiltrators.

Mr. Hosni Saadi came. He reported the recent defeat in the north center front. He claims that the troops resisted well, but the enemy attacked with 9 armed divisions and the battle was unequal, and he is upset that they were insulted by the people and Friday imams.

At the end of the night when I was sleeping, they came from the Najaf police station and suggested that I change my place of residence due to the possibility of counter-revolutionary measures related to the influence of the hypocrites in the region. I did not accept. Mr. [Mohammed Javad [Larijani] Deputy for Europe and America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] consulted on Mr. Velayati's negotiation policy at the United Nations by telephone, so that we leave his hand open within the limits of the specified policies.