ESCALATION AND ENTRENCHMENT

THE UNITED NATIONS' SECRETARY GENERAL has informed the governments of Iran and Iraq that he is "ready to despatch a mission to the area as soon as assurances for the safety of the mission are received". The mission will have a two-fold purpose: Firstly to update a previous UN mission which reported on war damage to civilian areas and, secondly, to ascertain" The authoritative positions of the two governments on the issues related to the conflict".