On 17 july 1988, iran notified the secretarygeneral of its formal acceptance of resolution 598 1987, expressing the need to save life and to establish justice and regional and international peace and security. Iraqi president saddam hussein, who despised the shah, welcomed this change, but his joy turned to alarm when the ayatollah. Ruhollah khomeini, the spiritual leader of the iranian revolution, proclaimed his policy of exporting the. The origins of the iraniraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways. Upon iraq s refusal, iran launched an invasion into iraqi territory operation ramadan. 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.
Williamson murray is professor emeritus at the ohio state university and senior fellow at ida. The iraniraq war dealt a devastating blow to the iraqi economy. Published by the institute for defense analysis alexandria, va in conjunction with the national defense universitys conflict records research center, washington d. War broke out between iraq and iran in september 1980. It was sparked by the iranian revolution, led by ayatollah ruhollah khomeini, which overthrew shah pahlavi in 197879. Iran iraq relations before the war the shah of iran believed that iraq and the soviet union were iran s primary threats.
Iraniraq war 1 iraniraq war the iraniraq war, also known as the imposed war, jangetahmili and holy defense. The first gulf war, better known as the iraq iran 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. 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. Paf provides the air force with independent analyses of policy alternatives affecting the development. The iran iraq lasted from september 1980 to august 1998, which made it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. 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. Jan 03, 2020 a conflict with iran would not be like the iraq war. Iraniraq conflict causes and consequences 198088 introduction. Itdoesnot, however,present adaybyday, blowbyblow description ofwhathappenedin the. 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. An fa18e super hornet launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier uss abraham lincoln on may 10 in the red sea. Territorial issues, including the shatt alarab boundary and five. Participation of a child soldier on the iranian front top left.
Parts of the conflict go back to the split in islam following the death of the prophet muhammad as iran was eager to spread shia islam to the rest of the middle east, but the conflict is not typically characterized as a religious war, mainly because there is little evidence. Upon iraqs refusal, iran launched an invasion into iraqi territory operation ramadan. It included tragic slaughter of child soldiers, use of chemical weapons, str. Relations with iran had grown increasingly strained after the shah was overthrown in 1979. The iran iraq war is one of the largest, yet least documented conflicts in the history of the middle east. In november 1971, iran occupied three islands belonging to united arab. The causes and consequences of the iraq war politics essay. The war began when iraq invaded iran, launching a simultaneous invasion by.
There are complex historical, cultural, and strategic causes for any conflict. An fa18e super hornet launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. 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. From 1980 to 1988 iran and iraq fought the longest conventional war of the century. Scope this manual starts with an overview of the iraniraq war. The consequence of the war cost billions of dollars and millions of lives. The origins of the iran iraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways. The iraniraq war offers an unflinching look at a conflict seared into the regions collective memory but little understood in the west. 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. 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. Army in the iraq war is the armys initial operational level analysis of this conflict, written in narrative format, with assessments. But mainstream theories of international relations ir prove remarkably inadequate in providing such explanations. The war destroyed a large part of iraqs capital stock, reduced oil production and exports, and. Revolutionary council ordered the iraqi armed forces to invade.
Iran then offered assistance to iraq s post war reconstruction and bilateral relations began to improve. 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. The iranian revolution in 1979 would drastically changed iraniraq relations for 24 years. The iran iraq war can also be seen to be a extension of the arabpersian conflict over leadership in the middle east. The iran iraq war dealt a devastating blow to the iraqi economy. Iraniraq relations before the war the shah of iran believed that iraq and the soviet union were irans primary threats. Iraniraq war caused an enormous ecomomic, military and social problems to both iran and iraq. 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. Download the brief the issue there is growing iranian activism in the middle east despite u.
The war destroyed a large part of iraq s capital stock, reduced oil production and exports, and. The role of airpower in the iraniraq war maxwell afb, al. 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. An aptly named simulation of the 19801988 war between iran and iraq. In 1979 the islamic revolution took place in neighboring iran. The iraniraq war of 1980 to 1988 was a grinding, bloody, and in the end, completely pointless conflict. But iran rejected a ceasefire, demanding the removal of saddam hussein and compensation for war damage. A conflict with iran would not be like the iraq war. Part of the arabiranian conflict and persian gulf conflicts.
May 2006 august 20, 2007 irans proxy war against the. The following day, iraq also reaffirmed its agreement with the principles embodied in the resolution. A recent twovolume history of the iraq war, published by the united states army, details the campaigns many missteps and its staggering cost in. 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. Port quarter view of uss stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an iraqi warplane middle left. In the 1970s there were simmering disputes over the territorial rights in the shatt alarab waterway. Soleimani was a revered military figure in iran because of his role in unifying iraqi and iranianbacked militias that rolled back the islamic state if iraq and the levant isil or isis group. Parts of the conflict go back to the split in islam following the death of the prophet muhammad as iran was eager to spread shia islam to the rest of the middle east, but the conflict is not typically characterized as a. Bergquist pdf with commentary at air university press filed under.
Iraniraq war 198088, prolonged military conflict between iran and iraq. 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. 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 causes and effects of the the iraniraq war essay bartleby. The result of the war, although stalemate would be a critical factor that would shape the future of the middle. Professor karsh addresses the causes of the iraniraq war, unpacking the objectives of the two belligerents and examining how far objectives were matched. Iraq had about potential to produce big volumes of oil than it was producing prior to the invasion. The iraqiran war 1980 1988 on 22 september 1980, iraqi troops invaded iran, starting a war that would last for eight years. The iraniraq lasted from september 1980 to august 1998, which made it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. Eight years of fighting left more than one million people dead and caused huge disasters for both sides, thereby grimly blistering ties between tehran and baghdad. However, after careful analysis of the history of the relationship between. Iraniraq 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 iraniraq war that was to claim hundreds of thousands of. Estimates of total casualties range from 1,000,000 to twice that number.
In 1975, the border between iraq and iran was established by a treaty, the algiers accord. Ayatollah khomeini has been replaced by ayatollah khameini, who appears to be. Fighting was ended by a 1988 ceasefire, though the resumption of normal diplomatic relations and the withdrawal of troops did not take place until 1990. 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. Professor karsh addresses the causes of the iran iraq war, unpacking the objectives of the two belligerents and examining how far objectives were matched. 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. The immediate cause of the war emerged in the wake of the 11 september 2001 terrorist attacks by alqaeda, when the bush administration sought to preempt potential threats to the united states and its allies. Territorial issues, including the shatt alarab boundary and five other zones, were a direct cause of contention. 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. Power and security the war is a puzzle for realist ir theory.
Air forces federally funded research and development center for studies and analyses. This game features everything from human wave assaults to chemical and missile attacks. Irans involvement in iraq council on foreign relations. Iraniraq war, 198088, prolonged military conflict between iran and iraq during the 1980s.
The causes and effects of the the iraniraq war essay. Thisreport attempts to makethe iran iraq airwaralittle less chaotic. Nov 18, 2019 the iran iraq war of 1980 to 1988 was a grinding, bloody, and in the end, completely pointless conflict. Thus, the war in a sense no winner, and both countries suffered from the war. Iran iraq war upon selection of the topic of the iran iraq war, we initially prepared to support the position that saddam hussein had carefully utilized all the principles of statecraft and chose war only as his last resort. 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. The result of the war, although stalemate would be a critical factor that would shape the future of the middle east. Several years after the arab oil embargo, seeing another major oil exp. Baghdad argues that its invasion of iran in september 1980 was justified because tehran had been trying since early 1979 to overthrow the iraqi regime. 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. Iraniraq war upon selection of the topic of the iraniraq war, we initially prepared to support the position that saddam hussein had carefully utilized all the principles of statecraft and chose war only as his last resort. The causes and effects of the the iraniraq war 910. Iraq war transition of iranian leadership and military decision to invade. This 8 years war before the fall of saddam hussiens regime undermines the tragedy of the iraqi people 5 years later.
Iran iraq war caused an enormous ecomomic, military and social problems to both iran and iraq. Us killing of irans qassem soleimani an act of war iraq. The iraniraq war is one of the largest, yet least documented conflicts in the history of the middle east. Pdf the origins of the iraniraq war are geopolitical in two essential ways.