This Day in History: 22 September 2020
22 September 1980
40 years ago, today, the Iran-Iraq War began when long-standing border disputes and political turmoil in Iran prompted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to launch an invasion against Iran's oil-producing province of Khuzestan. They primarily wished to cripple Iran and prevent the 1979 Iranian Revolution from moving to Iraq and threaten the Iraqi leadership. They also wanted to replace Iran as the dominant state in the Persian Gulf, which had not previously been possible due to Iran's high economic and military status, as well as its close alliances with the United States and Israel.
After initial advances, the Iraqi offense was repulsed, and they withdrew, seeking a peace agreement. However, the Ayatollah Khomeini renewed fighting. Stalemates and the deaths of thousands of young Iranian conscripts followed. Population centres in both countries were also bombed, and Iraq employed many chemical weapons. In the Persian Gulf, a 'tanker war' decreased shipping and increased oil prices. A cease-fire was agreed by Iraq in 1988, ending the eight-year war. The conflict has often been compared to World War One in terms of tactics used, which includes trench warfare and human wave attacks. It is estimated that 500,000 Iraqi and Iranian soldiers died, in addition to a smaller number of civilians. The end of the war did not result in reparations or border changes.
Want to find out more about the Iran-Iraq War? Click here for more information, or here for an animated video explaining the war.
No comments:
Post a Comment