On August 17, 1990, the Iraqi Ba’athist regime released over 40,000 Iranian prisoners of war in a reciprocal exchange for a similar number of Iraqi prisoners held by Iran.
In a statement on Thursday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran paid tribute to the martyrs of the Sacred Defense years, referring to the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, and honored all the war prisoners who were freed.
The statement further acknowledged that after their return, the released prisoners played a vital role in advancing the country, particularly in management, knowledge-based industries, and efforts to counter the enemies’ soft warfare tactics.