To bolster its support from the Iraqi Ba’ath regime and demoralize Iranian troops, terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK) consistently painted Iran as a belligerent state obsessed with perpetual war. This narrative was crucial to the terror group’s strategy.
Consequently, the idea of Iran accepting UN Resolution 598 and pursuing peace with Iraq was utterly inconceivable to the MEK leadership. When Iran ultimately agreed to a ceasefire, it shattered the MEK’s core assumptions and drove Massoud Rajavi to make increasingly desperate and misguided decisions, placing immense hardship on the organization’s members and supporters.
Ali Akbar Rastgoo, a former MEK member, vividly describes the shockwaves that reverberated through the group upon Iran’s acceptance of the UN resolution: “The organization had built its army around the Iran-Iraq war. Their central belief was that the Iranian government would collapse without the continuation of war.” (Ali Akbar Rastgoo, The Mujahedin-e Khalq in the Mirror of History, Tehran, Center for Islamic Revolution Documents, 2005, p. 400)
Massoud Rajavi viewed the war as Iran’s lifeblood, holding its disparate elements together. With the war’s end looming, Rajavi predicted the imminent collapse of the Iranian government. He believed that the ceasefire would expose the government’s vulnerabilities and accelerate its downfall. In essence, Rajavi saw the war as Iran’s sole source of cohesion and legitimacy. (Ali Soltani, The End of an Illusion, Iran Newspaper, July 26, 2005)
The Iranian government’s acceptance of UN Resolution 598 brought the MEK’s armed struggle to a crossroads. The organization faced an uncertain future, casting doubt on the viability of its Liberation Army and its militant approach. In response, Rajavi presented a strategic framework to his members. Visualizing a triangle with ‘war,’ ‘peace,’ and a ‘war-peace limbo’ as its points, he argued that the current situation was trapped in the latter. To ensure the MEK’s survival, Rajavi emphasized the need to prevent a shift towards outright peace. Based on his assessment of Iraqi intentions, he proposed that the organization should strive to push the situation back towards war, anticipating a renewed conflict between Iran and Iraq (Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization, Arising and the End (1965-2005), Vol. 3, Tehran: Institute of Political Studies and Research, 2006, p. 322).
This strategy, subsequently dubbed “Spark and War”, aimed to ignite conflict between Iran and Iraq. The MEK would provide the spark, while the ensuing war would be the desired outcome. All organizational resources were dedicated to disrupting peace talks and fostering discord. Rajavi believed that Iraqi intelligence and telecommunications apparatuses offered a more conducive environment for his machinations than the Iraqi society itself. Given their critical importance, the MEK activated a specialized unit to maintain close ties with these entities in order to create conditions favorable to the organization’s agenda. Although Saddam Hussein’s regime collapsed before the MEK could realize its dream of a second war, the organization exploited the ensuing chaos. Resuming urban warfare and resorting to tactics like mortar attacks and assassinations, the MEK sought to validate its armed approach and reinvigorate its demoralized members.
Rajavi transformed the MEK into an extension of the Iraqi military. Samad Nazari describes this subservient role in his book, The Devil’s Footprint. The Iraqi regime initiated the prelude to the MEK’s operation with a massive assault on western Iran on July 22, 1988. This attack involved extensive aerial bombardment and culminated in a ground invasion. In tandem, the MEK launched Operation Eternal Light on July 25, supported by Iraqi forces. Commencing from the Kermanshah – Gilan-e Gharb road and utilizing airdrops, the MEK advanced towards Kerend-e Gharb.
Benefiting from the Iranian military’s focus on southern fronts, the MEK captured Kerend with minimal resistance. Iraqi artillery provided overwhelming support, resulting in civilian casualties. After occupying Islamabad and perpetrating atrocities, the MEK pushed towards Kermanshah but was halted at the Chahar Zaber Gorge. Fierce Iranian counterattacks inflicted heavy losses on the MEK, and the battle raged through the night.
Ultimately, the arrival of Iranian reinforcements, including army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and air force units, marked the beginning of Operation Mersad on July 27, 1988. This decisive operation inflicted a crushing defeat on the MEK, signaling the catastrophic failure of their strategy.