The Iran-Iraq war lasted from 1980 to 1988 and was fought between Iran led by Khomeini and Iraq led by Saddam Hussein. It began when Iraq invaded Tehran by air with MiG-23s and MiG-21s after border skirmishes erupted near Qasr-e Shirin in September 1980. The war caused enormous economic, military, and social problems for both countries and nearly 300,000 Iranians and 375,000 Iraqis were killed or taken prisoner before a 1988 ceasefire. The war had no clear victor and both sides suffered greatly as a result of the almost 9 years of total conventional warfare.

1. - The longest 20th century war
- War triggered by Ethical/ Religious/
Economic/ AND Territorial Conflict

2. Iran - Khomeini
Iraq – Saddam Hussein

3. When? September 22nd, 1980 ~ 1988
Where? Areas near the border of Iran and Iraq.
(First on Iran's territory, later on Iraq's territory
as well)
Who? Iraq and Iran, led by Saddam Hussein and
Khomeini respectively,
What? almost 9 years of total/ conventional war
(for both sides)
Why (immediate cause)? In September 1980,
border skirmishes erupted in the central sector
near Qasr-e Shirin, with an exchange of artillery
fire by both sides. And on September 22nd of the
same year, Iraq invaded Tehran with their air
forces, MiG-23s and MiG-21s.

4. This war led to Gulf War of 1991, which
was also started from Iraqi aggression
This was fought between two of the largest
oil exporters
 Explains why the number of allies were
so large/ The war was internationally
important
Used CW and BW  Iraq widely used these,
whereas Iran allegedly used them

5. Use of Air force was also very significant
 Iraqi MiG-23s/ MiG-21s, Iranian F-14s and Scud
(Missiles) which were used first by Iraq, and later
also by Iran, to bomb each other’s territory
High economic losses for both sides + countries
involved
Civilian involvement & impact was huge
Resulted from a variety of long/short-term Causes
The war was ended with the help of UN
(Iran accepting UN’s Security Council Resolution 598, l
eading to a 20 August 1988 cease-fire.)

7. •Please look at the notes  !!!
•WAR WAS THE RESULT OF….
•Long-term, Short-term, Immediate Causes
•Economic, Social, Religious, Ideological,
Political and many other causes

8.  Economic/ military: significance of Shatt-al-Arab  connected
Persian Gulf with the Iranian port of Khorramshahr and Abadan
 Religious: Most Iraqi population belived in Sunnis Islam, where
as most Ianian population believed in Shiis Islam. Sunnis and
Shiis Islam were split since 661, when the founder of Islam, Ca
liph was assassined.
 Ethnical: Resentment existed between Arabians and Persians
since Arabians invaded Persians centuries ago.
 Persians could not form a consolidated country for almost 800
years
 Political: 1961~1975, Iraq focused on the suppression of
Kurish rebellions, which led them to accept…
 Algiers Agreement of 1975

9.  Political:
 1) Rise of the two ambitious leaders – Khomeini and
Saddam Hussein
 2) Islamic revolution of 1979 caused confusion in Iran
 Diplomatic:
 1) “Iran hostage crisis”  bad relationship with the
U.S.
 2) Persecution of communists in Iran  bad
relationship with USSR
 Military:
 Persecution of key military commanders in Pahlavi
Shah’s regime

11.  Economic: Islamic revolution in Iran
  industries were suffering and export of petroleum
decreased because of the bad relationship w/ the U.S.
 Religious:
 1) Islamic revolution in Iran also affected Shiis population &
even Kuridish people in Iraq. Many of them fought on the
Iranian side in the war.
 2) Khomeini insulted Saddam Hussein, by saying that his
regime is “anti-Islamic”

12. On September 22nd, 1980
Iraq invaded Tehran with MiG-23s and MiG-21s

13. Khomeini and Saddam Hussein

14. Land forces – tanks/ CW&BW/
artilleries near the border lines
HOWEVER….
Air force was most significant

15. Iraqi air forces invaded Iran without
officially declare war on Iran
 Saddam Hussein thought that with
the element of surprise, they can
easily win the war Because….

16. MiG-23s (picture below) & MiG-21s

18. Allies

19. These Scud Missiles were launched
against Iranian/ Iraqi civilians.

21. Iraq first used Chemical weapons
when Iran started counter attacking
Many attributed the use of CW in
Iran-Iraq war as the lenient
international policy regarding
CW&BW

22. Ali Hassan al-Majid was the minister
of National Defense at that time, and
he was the one who approved the
use of CW
Many Iraqi soldiers used CW in the
borderline b/w Iran and Iraq

23. 1) US and USSR both supported
2) Islam supported Iraq, whose
population is mainly Arabians.

25.  Civilians – many civilians died from bombing or as voluntary
soldiers
 Casualties –
 Iran acknowledged that nearly 300,000 people died in the
war
 Iraq suffered an estimated 375,000 casualties. Another
60,000 were taken prisoner by the Iranians.
 Economic – Both sides had huge economic impact
 (Iraq’s bad economy  Gulf war 1991)
 Political: regimes of both Iraq and Iran did not change
much after this war. However, the war made both regimes
oppressed…

26. The war stopped when Iran accepted
UN Security council Resolution 598,
leading to a 20 August 1988 cease-
fire.
Thus, the war in a sense no winner,
and both countries suffered from the
war.

27. Iran-Iraq war caused an enormous
ecomomic, military and social
problems to both Iran and Iraq.
  for both fronts it was a TOTAL
WAR

28. Each student must say 3 similarities/
differences between Iran-Iraq war
and wars listed below 
World War I:
Gulf War of 1991(Anthony’s war):
6 day war (Laurence’s war):
Korean war (Jimmy war):

30. THANK YOU! 

31.  Books:
a) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
b) Geopolitical Determinism: The Origins of the Iran-Iraq War by Efraim
Karsh
c) The Social Origins of the Iran-Iraq War by Thom Workman (Ph.D
Candidate in Department of Political Science in York University)
d) Success in World History Since 1945 by Jack Watson
e) Challenge to Civilization: a history of the 20th century (1952-1999) by
Martin Gilbert
 Websites:
 1) http://course1.winona.edu/aelafandi/polsci270/iran-iraq-war.htm
2) http://www.iranchamber.com/history/iran_iraq_war/iran_iraq_war1.php
3)http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/wars_iraniraq.html
4) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/iran-iraq.htm
5) http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/iraniraq.html
6) http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/iraniraq.htm