The Iran-Iraq war lasted from 1980 to 1988 and resulted in massive casualties for both sides. [1] Key causes of the conflict included religious differences between the majority Shia population of Iran and the Sunni leadership of Iraq, as well as territorial disputes over the Shatt al-Arab waterway and oil-rich Khuzestan province. [2] Iraq invaded Iran in 1980 hoping to take advantage of political chaos, but Iran pushed back and regained lost territory by 1982, leading to a prolonged war of attrition. [3] International support was mixed, with the US backing Iraq and the Soviet Union supporting Iran. The war ended in a ceasefire in 1988 after massive losses on both sides and international

1. THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
Historical Simulation of the United Nations
By Polyvios and Lara for the KCL MUN Chairing Program 2012

2. Historical Origins of the Conflicts
Early 20th C-1988  37 conflicts in the Middle East
Iraq-Iran War 1980-88
ORIGINS?
1.Religious Differences
Iraq leader Saddam Houssein Sunni Muslim
Majority of Iraqi people --> Shias
Whereas..
Iran  Shias Muslims
2. Shatt al Arab waterway dispute
Important channel for the oil exports of both countries
1937 – Iraq acquired control ; Iran had to pay tolls
1969 – Iran abrogated the treaty leading to acute tension
3.Khuzestan oil-rich province
Large Arab speaking population

3. Key Political Actors
Iraq - Saddam Hussein
•1979 - forced the Iraqi president to resign
•He executed opponents within the Ba’ath Party
•Aim: make Iraq Middle East’s leading state
•Ba’ath party under Saddam – influenced by socialism rather than Islamic law
•Saddam was a Sunni – minority in Iraq --- > wasn’t confident of the backing of the Shias
•Neighbouring Iran – world’s most preeminent Shia – Muslim State
Iran - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
• 1979 – Iranian Revolution --- > change in power
•Former leader Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (pro-Western monarch) :
 strong policy of modernization
 secularization: religion loses its authority in social life and governance
•Iranian Revolution – Islamists took control:
 reversed the diplomatic relations that Shah had established -- > anti-Western ideology

4. Causes for Conflict
• Territorial Claims
– Khuzestan
Iranian province, population has close ties to Iraq, Iraq claimed historical right
for control of the region
– Small islands in the Persian Gulf
Iraq claimed a number of small islands in the Persian Gulf
– Khuzestan Shatt Al-Arab River
• Political Chaos in Iran
– Many different factions vying for power before Khomeini established
himself as the new political leader
– Iraq saw Iran’s domestic instability as an opportunity to attack
• Deaths of Tariq Aziz and Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr
– Attempted assassination of Iraqi foreign minister Aziz by Iranian
backed group Ad Dawah
– Arrest and execution of popular Iraqi Shia cleric Al-Sadr

5. The War Itself
The War Itself
1980 – the tensions between the two countries were already high
September Iraq declares Shatt Al-Arab river theirs
22.09 Iraq invades Iran
• Khardeh and Karun were only lightly guarded, Iraqi forces quickly pushed
back Iranian forces and gained substantial territory
• Iranian Air Force armed with highly sophisticated American-made
airfracts
Jan. 1981 Massive counter-offensive by Iran, dented the armour or
Iraqi military
• Despite stalemate, neither was willing to concede or negotiate, Iran
especially unwilling as Iraq was still occupying Iranian territory

6. The War Itself / ctd.
The War Itself / ctd.
1982 Iranian Suicide Missions – ‘Human Wave Attacks’
• Iran harnessed her population’s religious fanaticisms
• Iran’s clerical rulers preached that the ‘true believers’ who died defending
Iran would be rewarded as martyrs
• Iraqi troops’ military proficiency was overwhelmed by Iran’s pure numbers
By January 1982
• Siege of Abadan had been lifted
• Iran defeated Iraq in the Qasr-e Shirin area
• Iraq was unwilling to sustain high casualty rates and therefore refused to
initiate further offenses

7. The War Itself – Iraqi Retreats
The War Itself - Iraqi Retreats
March 1982: Operation Undeniable Victory
• Launched by Iran, forcing Iraq to retreat – within weeks large proportions
of Iraqi divisions were destroyed
• Marked a turning point in the war
May 1982: Iraqis had retreated to internationally recognised lines
• Iran did not regard this the end of the war and continued their offensive
June 1982: Iraq showed willingness for negotiations, Iran refused
End 1982 to 1984
• Iraq launched a new phase of ground war, both sides absorbed heavy
losses and casualties
• Iraq denied Iran substantial gains in Iraq
• Iraq sought to involve the superpowers to end the conflict

8. The War Itself – War of Attrition
1984
• Neither side made decisive military breakthrough – Stalemate continued
• Iraq was facing more problems as it was less populous and the Iranian
government enjoyed more legitimisation
Use of Chemical Weapons
• 40,000 Iranian and 9,000 Iraqi fatalities
• Chemical Weapons were used over 40 times by Iraq
1985: War of the Cities, objective was to terrorise the citizenry
• Iraq launched multiple air strikes on Tehran, Iran bombed Baghdad
1988
• Major missile attack on Tehran, many fled the city
• Highly inaccurate missiles that inflicted considerable collateral damage

9. Casualties
Casualties
Iran Iraq
500,000 to 1m dead 300,000 soldiers, militia and civilians
killed or wounded
Iranian government’s official figure at
188,015 fatalities in soldiers, militias
and civilians

10. War and military tactics
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
22 Semptember 1980 Iran on the offensive
Iraq invades Iran
By June 1982 Iran
regained lost territory

11. Air Interdiction
Iraq invaded Iran, launching a simultaneous
invasion by air and land into Iranian territory
on 22 September 1980 aiming to destroy
Iranian air force base + capture Khorramshar
Iran responded with attacks to Iraqi capital
Baghdad
Both sides – 7000 deaths
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

12. Human wave attacks
Operation Jerusalem Way (Iran)
Human sea attack-overrun the defenders by
k
angaging in melee combat-shock the enemy to
fall back
Iraq - 2500 killed
Iran - 6000
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

13. 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Encouragement of heroism and martyrdom
Iran on the offensive to capture Basra –
used human wave attacks – martyrs would
go to Heaven

14. 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Chemical weapons
Iran was trying to capture Basra
Iraq counter attacked using mustard gas and
nerve gas in violation of international law
20 000 Iranian soldiers killed ; 80 000 affected

15. Tanker tactics
Early 1984-Iraq attacks Iranian tankers and
Iranian oil terminal
Iran responded by attacking Iraqi tankers
546 commercial vessels damaged
430 civilian sailors killed
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

16. Operation Dawn 5 (Iran)
Split Iraqi troops in Basra
Operation Dawn 6
Cut Baghdad-Basra from each other by
clocking the highway that connected them
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

17. 20th August 1988
UN Security Council Resolution 598
Ceasefire
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

18. International Community Reaction
International Community Reactions
Iran Iraq
Saudi Arabia United States
• Financial aid, up to US$1bn per month • No secret support
• Financial and military aid, chemicals,
military training,
• Iraq as the ‘guarantor’ of US interests
in the region
Soviet Union European Countries: United Kingdom,
• Supply of financial aid, weapons, France, Kuwait, Italy, West Germany,
missiles Egypt, Jordan, Singapore
North Korea Persian Gulf States: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
• Support in exchange for oil and the United Arab Emirates
• By 1982, Iran’s major military supplier
Syria, Libya, China Others: Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Singapore

19. Relevant UN Action
Relevant UN Actions
UNSC Resolution 582, February 24, 1986
• Condemned the escalation of the conflict (territorial incursions, bombing
of civilian areas, violation of int’l law, use of chemical weapons)
• Called upon cease fire and withdrawal of military forces to int’l recognised
borders
• Both parties refused to implement it
UNSC Resolution 589, July 20, 1987
• Demands that Iran and Iraq observe a ceasefire as a first step towards a
negotiated settlement
• Request that an observer-team be sent to the region
• Requested that POW be released and repatriated
• Question of the responsibility for the conflict

20. Questions to Consider
Questions to Consider
• Peace: How can long lasting peace be achieved in the region?
• Justice: How can the respective countries be brought to justice for
their various unethical war practices? Should the UN take action
regarding the use of chemical weapons?
• Prevention: In context to this war, how can further conflicts in the
Middle East, be prevented?
• Cultural differences: Is there a way to ensure communal tensions
between the Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims in the respective countries
so as to not lead to further conflict?
• Protection of oil: Due to their global importance, how can the oil
resources of these countries be protected from mutual attack as
well as from usurpation from foreign countries with vested
interests?
• Question of water: Can a suitable water sharing agreement be
reached regarding the Shatt al-Arab waterway so that it does not
become a catalyst for conflict once more?