Iran accepts Security Council Resolution 598

US Department of State Bulletin, Sept, 1988

DEPARTMENT STATEMENT, JULY 18, 1988

The United States welcomes Iran's formal acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 598, as well as President Saddam Hussein's reaffirmation yesterday of Iraq's acceptance of the resolution. This major breakthrough is an important first step toward the outcome that we and all members of the Security Council have sought for the last year It opens the way for the end of an 8-year tragic war and restoration of stability in a troubled region of the world.

We call upon Iran and Iraq to cooperate urgently with UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar and the Security Council to ensure the earliest possible implementation of Resolution 598 in all its aspects.

As Vice President Bush emphasized to the Security Council last week, the United States has long sought a just, negotiated settlement of the tragic conflict. Intensive efforts have been undertaken by the Administration over the past year to further this objective. The United States will continue to do all that it can, individually and in cooperation with like-minded governments and the United Nations, to hasten a durable peace between Iran and Iraq and to enhance the stability and seeurity of the gulf region.