✦ History

Iran–Iraq War

September 22, 1980 – August 20, 1988

Result Inconclusive

Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in September 1980, beginning an eight-year war driven by border disputes, Iraqi fears of Iran exporting its revolution, and ambitions for regional dominance. The fighting, which included trench warfare and chemical weapons use, killed around 500,000 people. Both sides accepted a UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect in August 1988, with borders essentially unchanged.

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Battles and events 47

September 22 – November 10, 1980
Battle of Khorramshahr (1980) Iraqi victory Battle of Khorramshahr (1980) Saddam Hussein, Abolhassan Banisadr, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
September 23, 1980
Operation Kaman 99 Iranian victory Iraq
September 30, 1980
Operation Scorch Sword
October 15, 1980
Operation Dezful Dezful
October 29, 1980
Operation Sultan 10
November 6, 1980 – September 27, 1981
Siege of Abadan Siege of Abadan Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Kamel Sajid
November 29, 1980
Operation Morvarid Iranian victory Operation Morvarid Bahram Afzali, Javad Fakoori
January 5–9, 1981
Operation Nasr Iraqi victory Dezful Abolhassan Banisadr
April 4, 1981
H-3 airstrike Iraq
September 27–29, 1981
Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh Iranian victory Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein
November 29 – December 7, 1981
Operation Tariq al-Quds Iranian victory Operation Tariq al-Quds Saddam Hussein, Mohammad Boroujerdi, Hossein Kharrazi
March 22–28, 1982
Operation Fath ol-Mobin Iranian victory Operation Fath ol-Mobin Saddam Hussein, Mohammad Boroujerdi, Ali Sayyad Shirazi
April 24 – May 24, 1982
Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas Iranian victory Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas Mohsen Rezaee, Ali Sayyad Shirazi, Gholam Ali Rasheed
April 24 – May 24, 1982
Battle of Khorramshahr (1982) Iranian victory Khorramshahr Hooshang Samadi, Mohsen Rezaee, Ali Sayyad Shirazi
July 13 – August 3, 1982
Operation Ramadan Iraqi victory Operation Ramadan Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Maher Abd al-Rashid
February 6–26, 1983
Operation Before the Dawn Iraqi victory Saddam Hussein, Mohsen Rezaee, Hossein Kharrazi
April 10, 1983
Operation Dawn (1983) Iraqi victory
July 22–30, 1983
Operation Dawn 2 Masoud Barzani
August 9, 1983
Operation Dawn 3 Iraqi victory
September 1983 – 1986
1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions in Iraq Saddam Hussein, Jalal Talabani, Ali Hassan al-Majid
November 1983
Operation Dawn-4
1984
Operation Dawn 5
February 1, 1984 – August 4, 1988
Tanker war Iraqi coalition victory Persian Gulf
February 1984
Battle of the Marshes Iranian victory Hawizeh Marshes Saddam Hussein, Hossein Kharrazi
February 7, 1984 – February 1988
War of the cities
February 14 – March 19, 1984
Operation Kheibar Iranian victory Operation Kheibar Mohsen Rezaee, Hossein Kharrazi, Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat
February 22–24, 1984
Operation Dawn 6 Iraqi victory
March 10–20, 1985
Operation Badr (1985) Iraqi victory Operation Badr (1985) Mohsen Rezaee, Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai, Mehdi Bakeri
February 9–25, 1986
Operation Dawn 8 Iranian victory Al-Faw Peninsula Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Maher Abd al-Rashid, Mohsen Rezaee
February 11 – March 10, 1986
First Battle of al-Faw Iranian victory First Battle of al-Faw Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Maher Abd al-Rashid, Mohsen Rezaee
May 1986 – June 1986
Battle of Mehran (1986)
December 25–27, 1986
Operation Karbala-4 Iraqi victory Basra Governorate Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
1987
Operation Karbala-6
January 8 – February 26, 1987
Operation Karbala-5 Iraqi victory Operation Karbala-5 Saddam Hussein, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Maher Abd al-Rashid
January 8 – February 26, 1987
Siege of Basra Iraqi victory Basra Governorate Saddam Hussein, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Maher Abd al-Rashid
May 1987
Operation Karbala 10 Iranian tactical victory
June 1987
Operation Nasr 4 Inconclusive Kurdistan Region of Iraq Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Ali Khamenei
June 28, 1987
Chemical bombing of Sardasht
July 24, 1987 – September 26, 1988
Operation Earnest Will Persian Gulf
August 1987 – June 1989
Operation Prime Chance Persian Gulf
March 1988
Operation Zafar 7 Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan al-Majid
April 17–18, 1988
Second Battle of al-Faw Iraqi victory Second Battle of al-Faw Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
April 17, 1988 – July 1988
Tawakalna ala Allah Operations Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
April 18, 1988
Operation Praying Mantis United States victory Persian Gulf
June 18, 1988
Operation Forty Stars MEK/NLAI victory Mehran County Ruhollah Khomeini, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
July 3, 1988
Iran Air Flight 655 Kish Island
July 26–30, 1988
Operation Mersad Iranian victory Khuzestan Province Ruhollah Khomeini, Mohsen Rezaee, Ali Sayyad Shirazi

Key commanders

Iran 18

Ruhollah Khomeini belligerent leader Mohammad-Ali Rajai belligerent leader Ali Khamenei belligerent leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani military commander Abolhassan Banisadr belligerent leader Hooshang Samadi military commander Mostafa Chamran military commander Mohammad Boroujerdi military commander Bahram Afzali military commander Javad Fakoori military commander Hossein Kharrazi military commander Gholam Ali Rasheed military commander Ali Sayyad Shirazi military commander Mohsen Rezaee military commander Mohammad Ebrahim Hemmat military commander Mehdi Bakeri military commander Jalal Talabani military commander Masoud Barzani military commander

Iraq 14

Saddam Hussein belligerent leader Tariq Aziz military commander Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri military commander Adnan Khairallah military commander Kamel Sajid military commander Wafiq al-Samarrai military commander Maher Abd al-Rashid military commander Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai military commander Hisham Sabah al-Fakhri military commander Sadi Tuma Abbas military commander Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat military commander Ayad Futtayih al-Rawi military commander Ali Hassan al-Majid military commander Salah Aboud Mahmoud military commander

Iran and allies 3

Ruhollah Khomeini military commander Ali Khamenei belligerent leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani military commander

People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and allies 4

Saddam Hussein military commander Tariq Aziz military commander Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri military commander Adnan Khairallah military commander