Iran, Iraq exploring prospect of peace

April 7, 1981

Iran and Iraq appear ready to end their six-month war and have promised to reply by the end of the week to new peace proposals, Habib Chatti, secretary-general of the islamic Conference Organization, said.

Mr. Chatti, who has been shuttling between Iran and Iraq as part of an Islamic peace mission, said: "Everybody I have met in the two countries said they are against the war. . . . And I have the impression that both sides are now ready to move along a path which could end the war."

[In Tehran Monday, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini approved Iran's reply to the latest proposals. The official Pars News Agency quoted President Abholhassan Bani-Sadr as saying he would now submit the proposals to Iran's seven-member Supreme Defense Council.]

The Islamic peace plan envisages the establishment of three commissions to work out agreements for a troop withdrawal and cease-fire and to inves tigate the responsibility for the conflict, Mr. Chatti said.