The Iran-Iraq War, which began in 1980, was initiated by Iraq's President Saddam Hussein's ambition to assert control over the Shatt al-Arab waterway and to undermine the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Throughout the conflict, both nations engaged in large-scale military operations, resulting in significant casualties and devastation. By 1988, both Iran and Iraq were exhausted, with extensive economic damage and loss of life. Under these circumstances, the United Nations stepped in to mediate talks between the two nations, aiming to find a resolution to the protracted hostilities that had claimed over a million lives and displaced countless others. The ceasefire brokered by the UN on August 20, 1988, was based on UN Security Council Resolution 598, which called for an immediate halt to fighting and facilitated a framework for peace. As a result, both countries agreed to a ceasefire and initiated steps towards demarcating their borders. The agreement ended nearly a decade of conflict, allowing for the return of prisoners of war and the resumption of diplomatic relations, albeit setting the stage for future regional tensions.