Module 2: Iran-Iraq War

Iran-Iraq War

The Iran-Iraq War, which lasted from 1980 to 1988, was one of the most devastating conflicts of the late 20th century, rooted in deep political, religious, and territorial rivalries. The Iranian Revolution of 1979, which saw the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini and the establishment of a theocratic Islamic Republic, posed a significant threat to Saddam Hussein's secular Ba'athist regime in Iraq. Saddam feared that the revolution’s anti-Western and Shiite Islamist ideology could inspire Iraq's own Shiite population, potentially destabilizing his rule. Sensing an opportunity to expand Iraqi influence and claim the disputed oil-rich territories along their border, including the strategic Shatt al-Arab waterway, Saddam launched an invasion of Iran in September 1980, hoping for a swift victory.

As the war dragged on, both sides received international attention and involvement. Initially, Iraq received support from the United States and other Western nations, with the CIA providing intelligence to Saddam’s forces to help counter the Iranian military. The conflict centered around control of vital oil fields, as both Iran and Iraq were major oil producers, and disruptions threatened global energy markets. Despite early Iraqi advances, Iran mounted fierce resistance, employing human wave attacks where untrained volunteers—often young and unarmed—would charge enemy lines in an attempt to overwhelm Iraqi forces. As the war continued without a decisive victory, the United States began a complicated shift in its alliances. Fearful of either side becoming too dominant, the U.S. started covertly supporting Iran as well, switching sides intermittently to prolong the conflict and prevent either nation from emerging as the regional hegemon.

By the mid-1980s, the Iran-Iraq War had reached a brutal stalemate, with neither side able to secure a clear victory. The battlefield resembled the trench warfare of World War I, with soldiers on both sides bogged down in fortified positions, enduring horrific conditions and mounting casualties. Chemical weapons were used by Iraq to break through Iranian defenses, leading to international condemnation but little intervention. The war's immense toll—over a million casualties, extensive destruction of infrastructure, and crippling economic losses—eventually drove both nations to negotiate a ceasefire in 1988 under United Nations mediation. Despite the ceasefire, tensions remained high, and neither country achieved their wartime objectives, with the conflict leaving a legacy of bitterness and devastation that would shape regional politics for years to come.