This conflict began when iraq invaded iran in 1980 followed by border disputes and irqs desire to become dominant persian gulf state and the iranian revolution at that time. Published by the institute for defense analysis alexandria, va in conjunction with the national defense universitys conflict records research center, washington d. Apart from studying the iraniraq war, iran analysts are left with little basis upon which to develop theories on how irans current behaviors relate to. Ruhollah khomeini, the spiritual leader of the iranian revolution, proclaimed his policy of exporting the. The iraniraq war is primarily the result of a conflict between the goals and ambitions of saddam. The iraniraq war was one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century and accidentally crea. Collection of iraqi documents translated and made available by the conflict records research center about the 1980 to 1988 conflict also known as the first persian gulf war.
Williamson murray is professor emeritus at the ohio state university and senior fellow at ida. The iraniraq war of 1980 to 1988 was a grinding, bloody, and in the end, completely pointless conflict. New weapons, old conflicts, edited by shirin tahirkheli and shaheen ayubi new york. Iranian soldier wearing protective gas mask against iraqi chemical attacks top right. Air forces federally funded research and development center for studies and analyses. Port quarter view of uss stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an iraqi warplane middle left. Military and strategic perspectives of the iraniraq war. The iraniraq war, by pierre razoux, is a very well written account of the iraniraq war, which began in 1980 with the iraqi invasion of iran, and ended in 1989. The iran iraq war, which ended in august 1988, one month short of its eighth anniversary, was one of the longest, bloodiest and costliest third world armed conflicts in the twentieth century. Part of the arabiranian conflict and persian gulf conflicts.
However, nations like france and egypt has also been quite helpful. It was sparked by the iranian revolution, led by ayatollah ruhollah khomeini, which overthrew shah pahlavi in 197879. The iraniraq war dealt a devastating blow to the iraqi economy. Drawing from an extensive cache of captured iraqi government records, this book is the first comprehensive military and strategic account of the war through the lens of the iraqi regime and its senior military commanders. In the latter half of 1986, the east german military attache in baghdad reports on how the iran iraq war has progressed and where it is going. In response, iraq escalated its attacks on iranian shipping, and iran retaliated in kind by attacking tankers headed to the. Meanwhile, the iraniraq war reached new levels of violence. Iraq war religion has historically played a central role in motivating rulers to start and individuals to participate in. Upon iraqs refusal, iran launched an invasion into iraqi territory operation ramadan. The origins of the iraniraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways. Territorial issues, including the shatt alarab boundary and five other zones, were a direct cause of contention. Pierre razoux shows why this war remains central to understanding middle eastern geopolitics, from the deeprooted distrust between sunni and shia muslims, to irans obsession with nuclear power, to the. Abstract continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number.
Iraniraq war, 198088, prolonged military conflict between iran and iraq during the 1980s. A recent twovolume history of the iraq war, published by the united states army, details the campaigns many missteps and its staggering cost in lives and money. Iraniraq war 1 iraniraq war the iraniraq war, also known as the imposed war, jangetahmili and holy defense. The persian gulf war was one of the most lopsided conflicts in history. However, like the war itself, its contribution to shaping the contemporary middle east is fading from memory.
In february 1986, iran amassed more than 100,000 men, crossed the shatt alarab waterway, and captured the strategic alfaw peninsula. Iran claims its ideology is not sectarian, citing its support for sunni groups such as hamas. There has been an increase in the size and capabilities of militias supported by the islamic revolutionary guards corpsquds force in iraq, syria, lebanon, and yemen collectively. Meanwhile, the iran iraq war reached new levels of violence. War broke out between iraq and iran in september 1980. The war did not result in territorial changes, and killed over 1 million people on both sides of the border. The iranian revolution in 1979 would drastically changed iraniraq relations for 24 years. After 100 hours, president bush brought the ground war to a halt.
But iran rejected a ceasefire, demanding the removal of saddam hussein and compensation for war damage. The war follaed a lang history o mairch disputes, an wis motivatit bi fears that the iranian revolution in 1979 wad inspire insurgency amang iraqs shiite majority, as well as iraqs desire tae replace iran as. Territorial issues, including the shatt alarab boundary and five. Apart from studying the iraniraq war, iran analysts are left with little basis upon which to develop theories on how irans current behaviors relate to its past. The iraniraq war, which ended in the summer of 1988, a month short of its eighth. Iran then offered assistance to iraq s post war reconstruction and bilateral relations began to improve.
Open warfare began on september 22, 1980, when iraqi armed forces invaded western iran along the countries joint border, though iraq claimed that the war had begun earlier that month, on september 4, when iran shelled a number of border posts. Iran iraq the iranian revolution in 1979, during which the western backed shah of iran was ousted and ayatollah ruhollah khomeini established a new theocratic regime, proved to be the impetus for a decadelong iran iraq war that was to claim hundreds of thousands of lives. One way to prepare for an uncertain future is to develop a. In response, iraq escalated its attacks on iranian shipping, and. Professor karsh addresses the causes of the iraniraq war, unpacking the objectives of the two belligerents and examining how far objectives were matched. Revolutionary council ordered the iraqi armed forces to invade. The iraniraq war wis an airmed conflict atween iran an iraq lastin frae 22 september 1980, whan iraq invadit iran, tae august 1988. Iraniraq war caused an enormous ecomomic, military and social problems to both iran and iraq. This battle lasted for almost eight years and turned into the longest conventional. Several years after the arab oil embargo, seeing another major oil exp. Woods the problem strategic realities and longstanding national interests all but ensure that the united states will find its military forces involved in the middle east into the forseeable future. Military and strategic perspectives of the iran iraq war williamson murray and kevin m.
Pdf geopolitical origins of the iraniraq war researchgate. The war between iran and iraq began in 1980, after the islamic republic of iran was newly established in 1979. Paf provides the air force with independent analyses of policy alternatives affecting the development. By then there was already unambiguous evidence indicating the urgency of defusing the imminent danger posed by iraq and its primary allies in the growing terrorist conspiracy. Participation of a child soldier on the iranian front top left. The first gulf war, better known as the iraqiran war the imposed war, as the iranian authorities came to call it was one of the longest and most atrocious interstate conflicts since the end of world war ii. To this end, it has enacted protectionist measures and trade policies to iraqs disadvantage, tried. Professor karsh addresses the causes of the iran iraq war, unpacking the objectives of the two belligerents and examining how far objectives were matched. He decided not to destroy iraqs retreating army, believing that a weakened and contained saddam was better than an islamic government in iraq like the one in iran. Eight years of fighting left more than one million people dead and caused huge disasters for both sides, thereby grimly blistering ties. Relations with iran had grown increasingly strained after the shah was overthrown in 1979. The iraniraq war offers an unflinching look at a conflict seared into the regions collective memory but little understood in the west. Likewise, the united states has more to gain than lose if it adopts a more coherent and pragmatic policy toward the islamic republic.
Arab airforces at theoutset of the war totaled threeegypt, iraq, andsyria. Pdf the consequences of the iraniraq war for iraqi politics. Saddam husseins regime in the 19801988 iraniraq war. Although iraq won the war militarily, and possessed a significant military advantage over iran in 1989, the 1991 persian gulf war reduced iraqs capabilities to a point where a rough parity now exists between iran and iraqconditions similar to those found in 1980. The iran iraq war is one of the largest, yet least documented conflicts in the history of the middle east. A case study in noncompliance javed ali javed ali is a senior policy analyst with the special projects division of research planning, incorporated rpi in falls church, virginia, where he currently provides counterterrorism analytical, training and exercise support for a range of u. Ayatollah khomeini has been replaced by ayatollah khameini, who appears to be.
Download the brief the issue there is growing iranian activism in the middle east despite u. Iran iraq war caused an enormous ecomomic, military and social problems to both iran and iraq. Evacuation of iraqi fighters to iran during first gulf. Iraqi president saddam hussein, who despised the shah, welcomed this change, but his joy turned to alarm when the ayatollah began calling for a shia revolution in iraq to. Implications of the iraniraq war einternational relations. In november 1971, iran occupied three islands belonging to united arab. The iraq and iran war strained iraqs political, and social life. Royalist egyptsairforce, influencedbythebritish royalairforce. Military and strategic perspectives of the iraniraq war williamson murray and kevin m. Pdf the origins of the iraniraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways. Iran iraq relations before the war the shah of iran believed that iraq and the soviet union were iran s primary threats. The iraniraq war, which ended in august 1988, one month short of its eighth anniversary, was one of the longest, bloodiest and costliest third world armed conflicts in the twentieth century.
National interests irans national interests usually dovetail with, but sometimes conflict with, irans ideology. Thus, the war in a sense no winner, and both countries suffered from the war. The middle east after the iraq war rand project air force rand project air force paf, a division of the rand corporation, is the u. Nov 18, 2019 a recent twovolume history of the iraq war, published by the united states army, details the campaigns many missteps and its staggering cost in lives and money. Iraniraq relations before the war the shah of iran believed that iraq and the soviet union were irans primary threats. While iraq has seen near perpetual war since saddam invaded iran in september 1980, the conflict was the last conventional war that iran has fought. Hussein and iraqs baathist leadership elite and the ayatollah. During the war so far, iraq s greatest source of imports has been, by far, from the soviet union. Scope this manual starts with an overview of the iraniraq war. It had nothing in common with the decolonization wars, for the iraqi and iranian regimes both claimed to be anticolonial, nationalist. The origins of the iran iraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways.
The iraniraq war is one of the largest, yet least documented conflicts in the history of the middle east. Irans islamic revolution of 1979 was a big and unpleasant surprise to pretty much every government that cared, especially to the west, which lost an important ally the shah. The iraqiran war 1980 1988 on 22 september 1980, iraqi troops invaded iran, starting a war that would last for eight years. Iraniraq conflict causes and consequences 198088 introduction. The war destroyed a large part of iraqs capital stock, reduced oil production and exports, and. Professor murray is well known to the academic community and has, with dr woods, of the institute for defense analyses, long been researching the war. Irans vital national interests could be helped by ending the standoff with the united states.
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