Iran – Iraq War

1980 - 1988

Beginnings…

Sept. 1980 Iraq invades iran Iraq bombed oil and military targets Saddam Hussien believed iran could be

taken within days b/c of turmoil in iran

Why was there turmoil inside iran in 1980?

Ethnic religious make up

Iran Persian Shi’ite majority

Iraq Arab Shi’ite majority Sizable AND

DOMINANTsunni population as well

Why is the religious and ethnic make up of iran and iraq significant?

Causes of the war

Border clashes in ’79 when Ayatollah Khomeini takes power

Iran encourages Shi’ites in Iraq to rise up against saddam

Iraq wanted Khuzestan province in Iran (oil)

Saddam had ambitions of controlling the region

The World threat

Oil routes threatened by mines 60% of oil used by the west passed

through the strait of hormuz Danger of drawing in other mideast

nations Cold war implications

Oil… it keeps coming up. Why?

Key Targets

Iraq’s initial blitz failed Iranians rallied behind Ayattolah

Khomeini Khomeini told iranians to drive out the

infidels Oil fields destroyed 1million dead by the time the war was

over

Attacks on international shipping

US frigate was hit by an iraqi missile (37 sailors killed)

1987 iran mined persian gulf US warships began mine sweeping and

escorting oil tankers 1987 naval confrontation between us

and iran 1988 us shoots down iranian civilian

airliner (280 killed)

Taking sides

Arab nations – declare neutrality but support iraq (saudi arabia and kuwait lend iraq billions)

Ussr – started out neutral but supported iraq in the end

USA – sided w/ iraq, us supplied saddam with chemical and biological weapons