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Hamid Ahadi

In an unexpected move, Jalal Talebani, Iraq’s President, reiterated a claim by Saddam ‎Hussein that led to the Iran-Iraq War, and announced that he does not recognize the ‎Algiers Accord, signed in 1975 between the two countries. Talebani’s remark puts the ‎Iranian government and its demand for hundreds of billions of dollars in war reparations ‎in an awkward position. ‎

In an interview with Al-Hayat daily, the Iraqi President, while praising his country’s ‎strong relations with Iran, announced that the current Iraqi government does not ‎recognize the Algiers Accord that was signed between the late Shah of Iran and Saddam ‎Hussein in 1975. ‎

At the time of its signing, the Algiers Accord was hailed as a sign of Iran’s dominance ‎over the Persian Gulf and its geopolitically significant coastlines. ‎

According to Talebani, the accord was signed between Saddam and the late Shah of Iran, ‎not between the Islamic Republic and the Iraqi government. ‎

Talebani added that he has refrained from signing several statements of cooperation with ‎Iran because of their reference to the Algiers Accords. ‎

According to Al-Hayat, the Algiers Accord was drafted after Iraq announced in 1969 that ‎the waters of Shatt al-Arab [“Arvand Rud” in Farsi] belong to that country. The Iranian ‎army threatened to launch military action against Iraq and Saddam Hussein agreed to ‎negotiate with Iran over the matter. In exchange for Iraq’s signing of the Algiers Accord, ‎the Shah promised to combat rebel Kurdish groups. ‎

In 1980, seizing on the opportunity created by the dissolution of Shah’s army and Iran’s ‎isolation following the Hostage Crisis, Saddam Hussein unilaterally breached the Algiers ‎Accord and launched a war that lasted eight years and left thousands of Iraqis and ‎Iranians dead. ‎

Iran's reaction to Talebani’s remark was immediate. Iran’s ambassador to Iraq ‎announced that the 1975 Algiers Accord is an international treaty not subject to change. ‎

Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Kazemi Qomi, said, “I do not have precise information about ‎Talebani’s remark and how it was published, but I can confirm that this treaty is not ‎subject to change and we are moving towards implementing all of its articles.” ‎

A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry also announced that any remarks about ‎breaching the 1975 Accord is without legal basis and confirmed Iraq’s commitment to the ‎treaty. ‎

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the ministry’s spokesperson, responded to Talebani’s remarks ‎by saying, “Iran and Iraq’s positive relations have been based on the 1975 Accord and its ‎addendums. Following the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has ‎respected the treaty and been subject to its articles. The Islamic government has not only ‎never questioned the validity of the 1975 Accord, but has actually confirmed the treaty’s ‎force in various correspondence with the United Nations.” ‎