Part of the arabiranian conflict and persian gulf conflicts. Parts of the conflict go back to the split in islam following the death of the prophet muhammad as iran was eager to spread shia islam to the rest of the middle east, but the conflict is not typically characterized as a religious war, mainly because there is little evidence to. The downfall of the shah and the confusion prevailing in. On april 18, 1988, the us navy retaliated against the navy of iran in response to the uss samuel roberts being damaged by a mine. There are no formal diplomatic relations between the islamic republic of iran and the united. Us president george w bush refers to iran, iraq and north korea as an axis of evil. This website is dedicated to the activities demanding justice for the victims. Risk will only increase over the coming year as irans nuclear program continues to develop. Iraq launched seven air attacks on the iranian nuclear reactor at bushehr between 1984 and 1988 during the iraniraq war, ultimately destroying the facility. Sinks or damages 6 iran ships in persian gulf clashes. Perhaps as many as a million people died, many more were wounded, and millions were made refugees. Rich in natural resources like natural gas, oil, coal, copper. We apply the simulator to different war scenarios between the us and iran. The 1988 executions of iranian political prisoners was a series of statesponsored execution of political prisoners across iran, starting on 19 july 1988 and lasting for approximately five months.
During this war united states supported iraq which was at that time led by saddam hussein. Lse london school of economics and political science home. Estimates of total casualties range from 1,000,000 to twice that number. Saddam used chemical weapons against the iranians and, in 1988, against his own people the kurds of halabja whom he considered a treacherous fifth column. Iran confrontation could trigger an escalation of proxy warfare in countries like syria and yemen, or an increase in iranian missile strikes. Flying usmade f15 and f16s, the israelis separated over the mountains of western iran, the pilots gesturing a last minute show of confidence in their mission, maintaining radio silence. Iranian military clashes in the persian gulf in the 1980s. The saudiiran war is americas fault foreign policy. The author covers the background and reasons for the conflict, and fortunately goes beyond the standard sound bites of just the historical conflict between persia and the. Us risks being dragged into regional war with iran in. The iraniraq war also called the first persian gulf war, or the imposed war in iran was a war between the republic of iraq and the islamic republic of iran that lasted from september 22, 1980, until august 20, 1988. As a result, 30,000 political prisoners were executed in two weeks and none of the families were allowed to speak about it. Irans agreement with six world powers over its nuclear program comes after decades of difficult ties between washington and tehran.
At the end of the first gulf war in 1988, hussein waged genocide against his own kurdish population. The us would be required to destroy irans air defenses before striking the objects related to the nuclear program. Husayn viewed the 1979 islamic revolution in iran as both a threat and an opportunity. Casualty figures are difficult to verify but it is estimated that iranian suffered around 500,000 dead between 1980 and 1988 while iraq suffered about 150,000 dead, with a. The assault on merchant shipping during the iran iraq conflict, 1980 1988,naval war college. Port quarter view of uss stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an iraqi warplane middle left. Iraniraq war 198088, prolonged military conflict between iran and iraq. The current book is no different it will give you a good overview of the bloodiest third world post ww2 conflict, namely the illconceived iran iraq war from 1980 to 1988. Iraqi president saddam hussein, who despised the shah, welcomed this change, but his joy turned to alarm when the ayatollah began calling for a shia revolution in iraq to. The war between iran and iraq was one of the great human tragedies of recent middle eastern history. The role of the shatt alarab dispute in the 19801988 war.
The authors have made full use of extensive research, eyewitness accounts, interviews with dozens of people directly involved, as well as recently declassified documents. The iraniraq war of 1980 to 1988 was a grinding, bloody, and in the end, completely pointless conflict. Several years after the arab oil embargo, seeing another major oil exp. The conflict turned into a war of attrition, with each side showing a marked disregard for the human cost. Iran hostage crisisiran and the united states nearly went to war. Justice for the victims of 1988 massacre in iran jvmi. The revolution is over, the new republic is stable, most of the people like us, and the.
Iran launched an unsuccessful attack on the iraqi osirak nuclear reactor on 30 september 1980. The american attack was the largest american naval combat operation since world war ii. On 14 april, the guided missile frigate uss samuel b. The iranisrael proxy conflict, or iranisrael proxy war and iranisrael cold war, is a proxy war between iran and israel in the 21st century. Simulations of usiran war and its impact on global oil price. During the eight years between iraq s formal declaration of war on september 22, 1980, and iran s acceptance of a ceasefire with effect on july 20, 1988, at the very least half a million and possibly twice as many troops were killed on both sides, at least half a million became permanent invalids, some 228 billion dollars were directly expended. The insurgency in balochistan is a low intensity insurgency waged by baloch nationalists against the governments of pakistan and iran in the balochistan region, which covers the balochistan province in southwestern pakistan, sistan and baluchestan province in southeastern iran, and the balochistan region of southern afghanistan. The inevitable coming conflict with iran a balance of power legitimized by power would be highly unstable and make unlimited war almost inevitable, for the equilibrium is achieved not by the fact but by the consciousness of balancethis consciousness is never brought about until it is tested. It made several changes to articles 5, 107, 109, 111, and added article 176. From this date, america and iran have considered each other to be enemies, 19801988 iraniraq war. The iraniraq war also known as the first persian gulf war was an armed conflict between iraq and iran lasting from september 1980 to august 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the 20th century. Besides striking iran with cruise missiles, the us navy will focus on keeping the hormuz strait open. By 1988 iran was totally exhausted and could not continue the war. Ayatollah khomeini created a theocracy in iran which imprisoned and executed thousands of its.
Participation of a child soldier on the iranian front top left. Khomeini sent thousands of young iranians to their death in humanwave attacks. Ministry of defence reluctantly planning for being drawn into a usisraeli conflict with iran over tehrans possible nuclear arms nick hopkins wed. The new socalled moderate president of iran, hassan rouhani, was deputy commanderinchief of the regimes armed forces at the time of the massacres and, since 1982, was a member of. The conflict is bound in the political struggle of iranian leadership against israel and its declared aim to dissolve the jewish state, with the counter aim of israel to prevent nuclear weapons being acquired by the iranian government and. Iranus conflict, us awards 29 purple hearts for brain injuries in iran attack. On july 20, 1987, the united nations security council had already passed resolution 598. Armed conflict between the united states and iran is higher now than at any point since 1988. The bloody red summer of 1988 tehran bureau frontline. Iran fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at iraqi. Uk defence chiefs prepare for conflict with iran over. Fighting was ended by a 1988 ceasefire, though the resumption of normal diplomatic relations and the withdrawal of troops did not take place until 1990. The majority of those killed were supporters of the peoples mujahedin of iran, although supporters of other leftist factions, including the fedaian and the tudeh party of iran communist party. A key point is that the unique geopolitical environment of 1988 is not what.
The iraniraq war ended with both agreeing to a ceasefire in 1988. The secular leader had sought to nationalise irans oil industry. This book focuses on the role of the air power in the iraniraq war of 19801988, one of the most underestimated and under researched events in the history of aerial warfare. A constitutional referendum was held in iran on 28 july 1989, alongside presidential elections. Irans islamic revolution of 1979 was a big and unpleasant surprise to pretty much every government that cared, especially to the west, which lost an important ally the shah. The iraniraq war was an armed conflict between the two countries which started in 1980 and ended in 1988 with intervention of united nations. The qatarbased xband radar station will spot iranian missiles capable of attacking the warships in as little as four minutes. It eliminated the need for the supreme leader rahbar of the country to be a marja or. Just before the sun rose over tehran, moments before the muslim call to prayer, the missiles struck their targets. Relations have been up, but mostly down since the 1979 islamic. This is the definitive book on the 19871988 conflict in the persian gulf between forces of the united states of america and the socalled islamic republic of iran. By 1988, the only bright spot on the economic horizon, aside from peace, was. In this eighth episode, arunank discusses and analyses the iranian issue or the usiran relations.
This is my bibliography, but i need to make it an annotated bibliography chubin, shahram, and charles tripp. Operation praying mantis was an attack on 18 april 1988, by u. In 1988, the united states launched operation praying mantis against iran, claiming that it was retaliation for the iranian mining of areas of the persian gulf as part of the iran iraq war. Iranian soldier wearing protective gas mask against iraqi chemical attacks top right. Confrontation between the united states and iran global conflict. Talks underway between iran, turkey over reopening borders. The limits of rapprochement during the war with iran, april 1980august 1988. The first gulf war, better known as the iraqiran war the imposed war, as the iranian authorities came to call it was one of the longest and most atrocious interstate conflicts since the end of world war ii. The shatt alarab river forms the boundaries between iran and iraq before flowing into the persian gulf. Ayatollah khomeini has been replaced by ayatollah khameini, who appears to be somewhat more pragmatic in his approach to exporting islamic revolution than was his. The intensified conflict with iran and the peak of the sovietiraqi relationship, may 1971july 1973. The iraqiran war 1980 1988 on 22 september 1980, iraqi troops invaded iran, starting a war that would last for eight years.
The forgotten mass execution of prisoners in iran in 1988. On 07 june 1981 israel initiated an air attack on the same iraqi osirak reactor, destroying it. The mullahs crack down on women in teheran for not covering their hair, and. Us and british intelligence agencies orchestrate a coup to oust irans democratically elected prime minister, mohammad mossadeq. When the us and allies first launched airstrikes against isis in 2014, the obama administration made clear that the us would not get dragged. While american and iranian ships are exchanging fire in the persian gulf, the us mistakes a civilian airliner for a fighter jet and shoots down iran air flight 655. March 1988 just a few months before the end of the war. Iran tensions are the 2018 trump administration withdrawal from the 2015. On april 18, 1988, the us navy retaliated against the navy of iran in response to the uss samuel roberts being damaged by a mine digging deeper. It was sparked by the iranian revolution, led by ayatollah ruhollah khomeini, which overthrew shah pahlavi in 197879.
Iran and iraq engaged in an 8 year war that threatened to stop the flow of oil in the persian gulf, something that would have catastrophic economic consequences for the us and europe. During the conflicts between iran and iraq, the united. The iraniraq war can also be seen to be a extension of the arabpersian conflict over leadership in the middle east. In february 1979, saddam husayns ambitious plans and the course of iraqi history were drastically altered by the overthrow of the shah of iran. This conflict is often referred to as the tanker war since it centered around attacks on oil tankers that were traversing the gulf, and the efforts of us forces to prevent such. In 1988 khomeini issued a religious decree to massacre all political prisoners in iran. Iraq moves toward solving the dispute with iran, july 1973may 1975. The conflict saw early successes by the iraqis, but soon after they were repulsed and the conflict stabilized into a long war. Iraniraq war in the air 19801988 schiffer military. Us iran relations iranian issue and conflict explained.
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