Iran Reiterates Demand That Iraq Be Blamed : Tehran Warns U.N. to ‘Denounce the Aggressor’ if It Wants to End Gulf War

Iran on Saturday reiterated its long-held condition for ending the seven-year-old Persian Gulf War, demanding that Iraq must specifically be blamed by the United Nations as the aggressor in the conflict.

The war started in September, 1980, when Iraqi forces attacked Iran across the Shatt al Arab waterway that forms part of their common frontier. Iraq claims its invasion followed increasing threats and escalating tension with Iran.

The Iranian statement, broadcast by Tehran radio, suggested that the Iranians still do not intend to give an unambiguous response to a demand for a cease-fire contained in a resolution adopted last month by the U.N. Security Council.

U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar announced Friday that he will visit Tehran and Baghdad soon at the invitation of both countries and at the request of the Security Council in an effort to persuade Iran to accept a U.N. cease-fire resolution.

The United States has said that unless Iran unambiguously accepts the resolution, it will seek a worldwide arms embargo against the Tehran government.

Tehran radio said that Iran welcomes the planned visit of Perez de Cuellar to inform him of its position. The radio said that Iran will “point out that any positive step to end the war must include denouncing the aggressor and indicting him.”

The comment was the first official response to the announcement of Perez de Cuellar’s visit.

Iraq on Saturday also welcomed the trip but pressed the Security Council to move ahead with an .embargo against Iran.

A de facto, 45-day truce in the two belligerents’ so-called “tanker war” in the Persian Gulf was brought to an end by Iraq when it raided Iranian oil-exporting facilities on Aug. 29.

On Saturday, the Baghdad regime launched two air strikes against Iranian shipping, bringing to 15 the number of “large maritime targets” it claims to have hit since the resumption of warfare in the gulf.

In Kuwait, meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted local sources as saying a missile struck the tiny sheikdom on Saturday. The reported attack, which was not publicly announced by authorities of that nation, followed an officially reported missile attack on Friday.

Both attacks were said to have been launched from Iranian-held territory near the Iraqi port of Al Faw on the Shatt al Arab waterway.

Reuters, quoting local officials, said that still another missile had hit the country last Wednesday but had not been publicly reported.

So far, there have been no reports of any casualties in the missile attacks.

At the same time, the Kuwaiti news agency said that five Iranian diplomats were given official notice of expulsion from the country by the Kuwaiti government Saturday and were told that they must be gone within a week. The move was to protest Iran’s continued attacks against Kuwait.

In other fighting in the gulf war, Tehran radio said that its air defenses shot down an Iraqi fighter plane during an attack over Iranian territory on Saturday. It said that nine Iranians were killed and more than 100 were wounded when Iraqi warplanes bombed the town of Sar Dasht in Khuzistan.

The radio said said that despite the recent upsurge in Iraqi attacks, Iranian oil exports are still at peak levels.