‘Cities War’ Truce Apparently in Effect After Fierce Iraqi Pounding of Iran Targets

A cease-fire apparently took effect Friday in the two-week-old “war of the cities” between Iraq and Iran, but not until after Iraq had carried out a fierce pounding of Iranian cities with missiles and bombers.

Iraq reported firing 11 ground-to-ground missiles at Iran during the day, eight of them aimed at Tehran and the other three at the holy city of Qom to the southwest.

A statement issued by the high command in Baghdad said that waves of Iraqi bombers attacked the Iranian cities of Kermanshah, Dezful, Borujerd and Hamadan.

The last two Iraqi missiles slammed into Tehran and Qom just minutes before the 4 p.m. start of the cease-fire, which Iraq had proposed Thursday.

Tehran Radio quoted an Iranian military spokesman as saying that Iran had ended its reprisal attacks on Iraq, officially accepting the cease-fire.

‘Bitter Lesson’

“We hope Iran’s rulers have digested the most bitter lesson given to any ruler in history,” Baghdad Radio said as the cease-fire took effect. “We call on Tehran’s rulers to avoid further bloodshed and destruction of property.”

Iran last fired a missile at Baghdad on Thursday night, and appeared to have been so damaged in the two-week exchange with Baghdad that it would not retaliate for the last-minute Iraqi blitz on Friday. Tehran Radio said that “scores of Iranians” had been killed in the missile and bombing attacks.

In Thursday’s announcement of the cease-fire, Iraq said it would go into effect only provided that Iraq made the last attack. It charged that Iran had initiated the war of the cities.

A missile exploded over Tehran during Friday’s prayer session at Tehran University, touching off shouts of “War until victory!” and “Martyrdom is our honor!” according to Tehran Radio.

Iran’s influential Speaker of the Parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, indicated indirectly that Iran would accept Iraq’s terms.

“We will respond to the missiles at the level of deterring the war-mongering Iraqi regime,” he was quoted as saying, “but we will give the principal reply at the war fronts or inside Iraqi territory.”

Won’t Attack Cities

In other words, Rafsanjani appeared to be saying, Iran will reply but not by firing missiles at Iraqi cities.

The war of the cities, which had been suspended for a year, was resumed Feb. 27 when Iraqi warplanes attacked the Iranian oil refinery at Rey, about eight miles from Tehran. Iran responded two days later with a missile attack on Baghdad.

Iraq then retaliated with a massive missile bombardment, the first use of missiles against Tehran since the war began in 1980.

Apart from the missile attacks, Iraq maintains that Iran has been consistently attacking civilian targets, shelling the southern Iraqi city of Basra and surrounding villages.

In announcing the cease-fire Thursday, the Iraqis said they would resume the missile attacks if Iran should shell Iraqi towns or undertake a new offensive on the battlefield. It said it will continue bombing economic targets in Iran, presumably including such centers as the Rey refinery.

U.N. Resolution

Iraq has been trying to force Iran to accept a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted last July calling for the end of fighting on the ground and in the Persian Gulf, as well as in the war of the cities. Iraq has accepted the resolution, but Iran has not given a firm answer.

The United States is leading an effort in the Security Council to impose an arms embargo against Iran for failing to accept the cease-fire.