The World : Iran Mobilizes Recruits

Thousands of Iranian recruits left for the war front as Tehran’s new military commander reportedly prepared for a land offensive against Iraq, diplomats said. The Iranian volunteers departed amid celebrations that included the ritual slaughter of sheep and the chanting of anti-American slogans. It was not immediately clear which part of the 750-mile front the recruits were reinforcing. Persian Gulf-based diplomats said Parliament Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani, appointed Thursday as Iran’s acting military commander to reverse recent battlefield setbacks, needs a victory to boost lagging morale. In Baghdad, meanwhile, Iraq reported that its warplanes attacked a bridge in western Iran used by Tehran’s military to supply the war front.