Iran's government said today it was preparing a criminal complaint over the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war to present at any international court that may try former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Some 300,000 Iranians were killed in the eight-year war, including thousands who succumbed to chemical weapons attacks used by the Iraqi army.
Iranian government spokesman Mr Abdollah Ramazanzadeh said although the Iraqi people should have priority in trying Saddam for the crimes he committed in his own country, "that doesn't negate the rights of others for filing a suit at international circles against him".
Iran has longstanding war reparations claims against Iraq for their bloody war, which Saddam began in 1980 with an invasion of his eastern neighbour.
Mr Ramazanzadeh said the issue of reparations was a government-to-government matter and that Iran's attitude on pressing its claims would depend on its relations with the future Iraqi government.