THE IRAN – IRAQ WAR 1980-88

THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR

IRAQ
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAQ

• Weak national identity

• Divisions along ethnic (Arab-Kurd) and religious
(Sunni-Shia) lines
• History of military coups and political violence
• SH’s path to power

• Saddam Hussein’s legitimacy based on:

• Pan-Arab nationalism
• Modernisation and living standards
• “Face”
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAQ

Power secured by:

•Delivering high living standards and state employment
•An exemplary developing country
•Police state
•Tight control of army
•Divide and rule

…….Saddam Hussein’s political survival

THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAN

• More homogenous than Iraq

• Prior to 1979 – Shah, pro-western
• Shia majority
• 1979 – Islamic Revolution
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAN and IRAQ – Neighbours from Hell

• 1960s: Iraq provides base for Ayatollah Khomeinei

• 1970s: Iran under the Shah dominant regional
power supported by US
• 1974: Shah supports Kurdish separatists in Iraq
• 1975: Algiers agreement, SH forced to sign humiliating
agreement
• 1979: Iranian Revolution
• Subversion in Iraq, assassination attempt
• Iraqi support for Iranian exiles
• Border clashes
• 1980: Iraq invades Iran
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Not just about oil, but…
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAQ – Strategic Strengths

• Autocracy
• Modern army
• Good infrastructure
• Oil revenue
• Eastern border protected by mountains and Shatt
• Increasing foreign support (from 1982)
• Seen as bulwark against Iran by some neighbours
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAQ – Strategic Strengths
• Brittle legitimacy of regime
• Internal divisions posing threat to
national unity and loyalty
• Politicised officer corps
• Small population
• Cities, southern and northern oil
infrastructure, close to Iran
• Limited and vulnerable access to Gulf
• Strategic geography favours Iran
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAN – Strategic Strengths
• Legitimacy and strength of Mullah
regime increasing
• Popular support and religious zeal
• National identity
• Large population
• Oil revenue
• Geography especially long coastline
• Potential to exploit internal Iraqi
divisions
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
IRAN – Strategic Weaknesses

• Initially divided regime

• Parallel government – quasi government structures
and institutions
• Armed forces in chaos (officer corps, equipment)
• Military experience defending borders
• Politically increasingly isolated (from 1982)
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
The Course of the Iran-Iraq War

1. The Initial Iraqi Attack: 22 September - December

1980

2. The Static War: December 1980 - September 1981

3. Iran Regains Its Territory: September 1981 - June

1982

4. Iran Invades Iraq: June 1982 - April 1988

5. Iraqi Offensive: April 1988 - 6 August 1988

 THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Iraq on the offensive 1980
• Only half of army deployed
• Main effort: seize Khuzistan/Arabistan
• Secondary effort: gain strategic depth in
• the north
• Attack with limited objective
• Occupation of Arabistan provides
• bargaining chip
• Preference of firepower over close
• combat
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Iraq on the offensive 1980
• Weak and disorganised Iranian resistance
• Urban combat in Abadan and Khorramshar
• Offensive temporarily stopped by SH to open
negotiations
• Iran intransigent, renewed push meets stiffened
opposition
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Stalemate 1980-81
• Iraqi forces consolidate and shift to defence
• Iran unwilling to negotiate
• Iranian war aim: Iraqi Islamist state
• Iran marshals forces for counteroffensive
• Major Iranian armour attack defeated in 1981
• SH had entered the war without knowing how to win it
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Iran of the offensive, 1981-87
• Offensives mainly in the southern sector of the front
• Iranians inferior in equipment and firepower but superior in
morale
• Occasional human wave attacks
• Basij e-Mustazafin (Mobilisation of the Deprived)
• Costly tactical victories of little operational
• significance
• Frequent night attacks
• Heavy Iraqi losses in men and equipment
• 1982 unilateral Iraqi withdrawal behind borders
• 1982-88 Iran invades Iraq
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Total or Limited War?

Factors to consider:
•Aim
•Resources
•Weaponry
•Geographic spread
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Escalation and de-escalation

Iraq
•Escalation steps (War of the Cities, attack on oil infrastructure) timid
and reversed
•SH casualty-aware and wishes to limit impact on population
•SH ‘guns and butter’ policy

Iran
•Iranian tactics influenced by martyr cult more than military rationale
•Use of the war to crush internal enemies
•Mullah regime emerges
•Martyr families privileged
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Foreign intervention and Iraq on the offensive, 1988

Iraqi escalation steps:

•Modernisation of Iraqi forces
•Increasing effectiveness of Iraqi forces (RG)
•Counteroffensives recover Iraqi territory
•Use of chemical weapons
•War of the Cities (since 1984) renewed with Scuds
•Iraqi attacks on oil installations
•Tanker War
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Foreign intervention and Iraq on the offensive, 1988

• US intervention in the Gulf

• Foreign support for Iraq

• Iranian war weariness and opposition increases

• Jihad-mullahs replaced by moderates

THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
The End of the War

Iran isolated
but
economically and politically sound enough

SH gained personal victory

Iraq better diplomatic relations
but
Iraq’s finances and infrastructure in bad shape
Still discontent in Iraq
Road to Kuwait
THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Questions?