Iran-Iraq Exchange Corpses

December, 17, 1991 A.D.:
Iran-Iraq Exchange Corpses

By: Mir M.Hosseini

Iran and Iraq partially exchanged corpses of victims of the 8 year war which started by Iraq's invasion in 1980. The body of Mohammad Javad Tondgooyan was among the victims. He was appointed Minister of Oil on Oct, 2, 1980 after in Rajayi's cabinet. Only one month later, on Oct, 30th, Tondgooyan and a group of colleagues were visiting southern oil fields in Abadan when they were taken captive by Iraqi forces. At the time the region was constantly under fire and that was his fourth attempt to enter the region which was the war zone.
They were transported by Iraqi forces to Basra. He was reportedly alive until the end of the war and the Baath regime tried to use him several times as a bargaining chip against Iran.
The cause and time of his death is not known and reports regarding this issue are classified. It was not unusual to torture prisoners of war to death in Saddam's regime.