Iran–Iraq War

The Iran–Iraq War wis an airmed conflict atween Iran an Iraq lastin frae whan Iraq invadit Iran, tae August 1988. The war follaed a lang history o mairch disputes, an wis motivatit bi fears that the Iranian Revolution in 1979 wad inspire insurgency amang Iraq's Shi'ite majority, as well as Iraq's desire tae replace Iran as the dominant Persie Gulf state.

Iran–Iraq War
Pairt o the Persie Gulf Conflicts

Pairticipation o child sodgers on Iranian front (tap left); Iranian sodger wearin a gas mask (tap richt); Port quarter view o USS Stark listin tae port after bein mistakenly struck bi an Iraqi warplane (middle left); Pro-Iraq PMOI forces killed in Operation Mersad (middle richt); Iraqi preesoners o war after the re-captur o Khorramshahr bi Iranians (ablo left); ZU-23-2 bein uised bi the Iranian Airmy (ablo richt).
Date22 September 1980 – 20 August 1988
(7 years, 10 months, 4 weeks and 1 day)
LocationIran, Iraq, Persie Gulf
Result

Militar stalemate

  • Iraqi failyie tae annex territories on the east bank o the Shatt al-Arab an bolster Arab separatism in Khuzestan Province o Iran
  • Iranian failyie tae topple Saddam Hussein an destroy Iraqi militar pouer as well as inspire sectarian divide i Iraq
  • Unitit Naitions Security Cooncil Resolution 598
Territorial
changes
"Status quo ante bellum"; observed bi Unitit Naitions Iran–Iraq Militar Observer Group based on Unitit Naitions Security Cooncil Resolution 619
Belligerents

 Iran
KDP
PUK
File:ISCI flag.svg ISCI
Abuzar Brigade[1]

Iraq
PMOI

Commanders an leaders

Iran Ruhollah Khomeini
(Supreme Leader of Iran)

Iraq Saddam Hussein
(Preses o Iraq)

Units involved
see order o battlesee order o battle
Strenth
At the onset o the war:[13]
110,000–150,000 sodgers,
1,700–2,100 tanks,[14] (500 operable)[15]
1,000 armoured vehicles,
300 operable artillery pieces,[16]
485 fechter-bombers (~100 operable),
750 helicopters
Efter Iraq widrew frae Iran in 1982:
350,000 sodgers,
700 tanks,
2,700 airmoured vehicles,
400 artillery pieces,
350 aircraft,
700 helicopters
early 1988:[17]
600,000 sodgers,
1,000 operable tanks,
800 airmoured vehicles,
600 hivy artillery pieces,
60–80 fechter-bombers,
70–90 helicopters
At the onset o the war:[18]
200,000 sodgers,
2,800 tanks,
4,000 APCs,
1,400 artillery pieces,
380 fechter-bombers,
350 helicopters
Efter Iraq widrew frae Iran in 1982:
175,000 sodgers,
1,200 tanks,
2,300 airmoured vehicles,
400 artillery pieces,
450 aircraft,
180 helicopters
At the end o the war:
1,500,000 sodgers,[19]
~5,000 tanks,
8,500–10,000 APCs,
6,000–12,000 artillery pieces,
900 fechter-bombers,
1,000 helicopters
Casualties an losses

123,220–160,000 KIA an 60,711 MIA (Iranian claim)[20][21]
200,000–600,000 killed (ither estimates)[20][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]
800,000 killed (Iraqi claim)[20]
320,000–500,000 WIA[23][30][31]
40,000–42,875 POW[30][31]
11,000–16,000 ceevilian deid[20][21]

Economic loss of US$627 billion[22][32]

105,000–375,000 killed[30][32][33][34][35]
250,000–500,000 (ither estimates)[36]
400,000 WIA[34]
70,000 POW[23][34]

Economic loss of $561 billion[22][32]

100,000+ ceevilians killed on baith sides[37]
(nae includin 50,000–100,000 ceevilians killed in the Al-Anfal campaign)[38]

¹ The exact nummer o Iraqi Shia that focht alangside Iran is unkent. The Islamic Supreme Cooncil o Iraq an Islamic Dawa Pairty supportit Iran in the war. Iran wad whiles organise diveesions o Iraqi POWs tae fecht against Iraq.
Iran–Iraq War -22 September 1980, Tehran

References

Soorces

  • Farrokh, Kaveh. Iran at War: 1500–1988. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781780962214.
  • Pollack, Kenneth M. (2004). "Iraq". Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948–1991. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803287839.