95: Chapter 92 Political Solution

At 12:00 PM, Karimi intercepted a telegram sent from the commander of the Iraq Southern Military District to Baghdad.

The content of the telegram was very brief: "The offensive in the direction of the Pump Station has been thwarted, a gap has appeared in the encirclement, suggesting we seek a political solution."

"Political solution," Hassan laughed, "They are begging for mercy."

"It's not begging for mercy," Reza said, "It's probing. Saddam Hussein is testing whether we have any willingness to negotiate. If we say we won't talk, he will continue to fight, but he will change his tactics. If we say we will talk, he will think we are also under pressure, and then set harsh conditions."

"Then what should we say?"

"Say nothing," Reza said, "Let him wait. The longer he waits, the greater his pressure."

At 2:00 PM, Reza received a secret telegram sent by Rafsanjani from Tehran.

The content of the telegram was: "The Ayatollah is very satisfied with the results of the battle at the Pump Station. He said at the Supreme Defense Council that His Highness Reza is 'the shield and sword of Iran.' Bani-Sadr did not object."

"Shield and sword," Karimi repeated, "That is very high praise."

"It is also shackles," Reza said, "A shield means defense, and a sword means attack. Ayatollah Khomeini is telling me that he wants me to play a role in the war, but not to replace him. If I hold the Pump Station, he is satisfied; if I were to capture Basra, he might not be."

"Why?"

"Because if I really capture Basra, my prestige will become too high for Tehran to control. Ayatollah Khomeini needs someone who can fight, but he does not need someone who can threaten his position."

"Then what will you do?"

"Continue the war, but do not continue the advance. Hold the Pump Station, hold the corridor, and let Saddam Hussein know that we can advance at any time, but we won't actually do it. This balance must be maintained well."

At 4:00 PM, Reza held a short meeting to deploy tasks for the next three days.

First, consolidate the corridor. Deploy anti-tank fire points and anti-aircraft weapons on both sides of the corridor to ensure that the corridor will not be cut off under any circumstances.

Second, reinforce the Pump Station's defenses. Dig anti-tank trenches, lay landmines, and build fire points around the perimeter of the Pump Station, turning the Pump Station into a true fortress.

Third, maintain pressure. Regularly send small units to harass the Iraq encirclement, not giving them a chance to catch their breath.

"Three days later," Reza said, "Saddam Hussein will send someone to negotiate. By then, we must let him know that the Pump Station is already ours, and if the oil from the Zubair Oilfield is to be exported, it must have our consent."

At 6:00 PM, Reza stood alone on the rooftop of the Pump Station.

He watched the western sky, where the evening glow was fading. The distant Iraq camp was brightly lit.

Karimi walked up to him and handed him a telegram: "It's from Baghdad. Not through official channels, but through our intelligence informant in Baghdad. The content is a summary of Saddam Hussein's speech at an internal meeting."

"Read it."

Karimi read: "Saddam Hussein said: 'The Pump Station can be lost and retaken, the Zubair Oilfield can be lost and re-dug, but Iraq's dignity cannot be lost. That man thinks he has won, but he doesn't know that the real war has not yet begun.'"

After listening, Reza was silent for a few seconds, then said: "Saddam Hussein is pumping himself up. He knows he has lost, but he cannot admit it. Admitting defeat is more terrifying to a dictator than the defeat itself."

"Then what should we do next?"

"Wait," Reza said, "Wait until he is truly ready to negotiate. By then, I will give him a condition he cannot refuse."

He took out the dark blue notebook and wrote a line on the newest page: "The corridor is open. The siege is broken. The Pump Station is secure."

He closed the notebook and walked back to the control room.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

In Baghdad, Saddam Hussein had stayed in the Presidential Palace for three full days without going out.

It wasn't because he was busy, but because he didn't want to see anyone. The news of the Pump Station falling was like a thorn in his heart; every time he thought of it, it made him feel an unbearable humiliation—an exiled Iran prince, leading a group of remnants, had planted a flag on his soil, and his army had been unable to pull it out after fighting for a week.

"Mr. President," Adnan Khairallah stood at the door, his voice very soft, "The Soviet Union ambassador has arrived."

Saddam Hussein raised his head and glanced at the clock on the wall. 3:00 PM. His meeting with the Soviet Union ambassador was scheduled for 3:15 PM.

"Make him wait."

Khairallah retreated.

Saddam Hussein stood up and walked to the window. Outside the window of the Presidential Palace was the Tigris River, the water shimmering with golden light in the afternoon sun. He looked at the river, remembering the feeling of standing in the same spot when he had just become president in 1979—at that time, he felt the whole world was his, that under his leadership, Iraq would become the leader of the Arab world, and he would become the greatest Iraqi since Saladin.

But today, he felt like a joke.

An Iran collateral branch prince had spent five years building a wall in Khuzestan that he couldn't break through, then took his Pump Station in one night, and held it for a week.

"That man," Saddam Hussein muttered to himself, "what exactly does he want?"

At 3:30 PM, Saddam Hussein walked into the reception room.

The Soviet Union ambassador, Viktor Mikhailovich Kolokolov, had already waited for fifteen minutes, without showing any displeasure on his face. He was a seasoned diplomat who knew when to show patience.

"Mr. Ambassador," Saddam Hussein sat down and got straight to the point, "I need more weapons."

"What kind of weapons?"

"AT-3 anti-tank missiles, the more the better. Also, Mi-24 helicopters, at least one squadron. And—Tu-22 bombers."

Kolokolov was silent for two seconds and said: "Mr. President, the Soviet Union has already provided Iraq with a large amount of weapons and equipment. In the past year, we have delivered over two hundred tanks, one hundred fighter jets, and tens of thousands of missiles. Your current request requires approval from Moscow."

"Then go get the approval," Saddam Hussein said, "Tell Moscow, if the Iranians turn the Pump Station into a permanent military base, the Zubair Oilfield is finished. If the Zubair Oilfield is finished, Iraq's oil revenue is finished. If Iraq's oil revenue is finished, what will we use to buy Soviet Union weapons?"

Kolokolov nodded: "I will convey this."

"One more thing," Saddam Hussein said, "I want to negotiate with that prince."

"Negotiate?" Kolokolov was stunned for a moment, "You want to negotiate with Reza Pahlavi?"

"Not negotiate with him, but let him come to negotiate with me," Saddam Hussein said, "Tell the Iranians that I am willing to discuss a ceasefire. The condition is that Iran withdraws from the Pump Station and restores the pre-war border."

Kolokolov wrote this down in his notebook, and then asked a question that made Saddam Hussein very uncomfortable: "What if the Iranians do not accept?"

Saddam Hussein looked at him, his eyes holding something very complex: "Then we will continue to fight."

But both he and Kolokolov knew that the option of continuing to fight was no longer on the table.