The Iran-Iraq war 1980-88

Why did Saddam Hussein go to war with Iran?

• The Iranian leader was calling for the Shiite Muslims to rise up against Hussein - Shiite’s made up a big proportion of the population and Hussein’s support came from Sunnis

• Saddam wanted to gain the Shatt al-Arab waterway and other key oil ports in Iran

• Iran was weak due to their poor economy due to the Western boycott after the US embassy incident Iran’s army was demoralised

• Iraq saw this a perfect opportunity to win a quick war and become a major power and oil exporter

Who was the leader of Iran?

Ayatollah Khomeini

Where was most of the fighting focused on? Why?

The Gulf - it was a vital route which both countries exported their oil through

What did both sides attack a the beginning?

They attacked the other’s oil installations and tankers

When did Iraq invade Iran?

September 1980

How long was the war and what did people expect?

People though it would be a short war but it lasted 8 years

Where did the Iraqi army halt during their invasion?

The Iranian desert

What did Iraq do during the war and what did this begin?

They fired missiles at Iran’s cities in order to terrorise civilians - The War of Cities

What happened during the War of the Cities?

Both sides aimed for cities with thousands of civilians

Within the first year, what happened to the Iraqi forces?

They were pushed back to their own border

How did Iran manage to push back Iraq even though they had superior firepower?

There mass populations were most became martyrs as Iran would send in waves of recruits to fight

Within two years, what did Iran manage to capture?

Their land back

When did the Iraqi forces begin to be more unified?

Once Iran started to target Baghdad

When did both sides start trench warfare?

1984

Why did most of the Arab states support Iraq?

• Most of the Gulf states had Sunni leaders (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia)

• Many did not support the Islamic Revolution and the goal of a Shiite Islamic state

• They feared that if Iran won, then many Shiites would be loyal to Iran instead of their country

• They feared that Iran would threaten their oil supplies - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan

Why did most of the USA, the West and the USSR support Iraq?

• They were against Iran’s new regime - France was the main supplier to Iraq

• After the Iranian counter attack in Baghdad, the USA became more involved in the war

• The powers did not want Iran to control the oil prices in the Gulf

• Their victory could have led to the collapse of the pro-Western states in the Gulf

How did the US manage to help Iraq?

They used satellite technology to track Iran’s movements

What did both sides use against each other?

Chemical weapons of mass destruction

Why did Iran attack Kuwait’s oil fields and what did this cause the powers to do?

Since Kuwait supported Iraq - the USA and Soviets both offered protection (The US wanted to stop Soviet influence growing)

When Iran cut off Iraq’s access to the Shatt al-Arab waterway, what the USA do?

They provided protection for Iraqi shipping and they destroyed Iran’s navy

When did Iran finally accept the ceasefire?

1988

Why did Iran accept the ceasefire?

• Their economy had crumbled

• There were lots of Martyrs

• They faced the prospect of a direct war with the US

How many Iraqis and Iranians died during the war?

• Iraqis: 500,000

• Iranians: 1 million

When did Khomeini die and what was public opinion like?

He dies in 1989 but he and his party were still widely popular

How did Iran manage to recover?

Its 55 million population allowed them to remain a power but a Shiite Islam state was not created

Why did tensions remain between Iran and Iraq?

There was no peace treaty with Iraq so both sides rearmed

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took over in 2005, what happened in Iran?

It remained an Islamic state

Who continued to appoint the heads of state organisations (like the judiciary)?

The Supreme leader

Why did the USA and the West impose sanctions on Iran in the early 21st century?

Iran developed a nuclear enrichment plan so they did this to deter Iran from buying or creating nuclear weapons