THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR

Historical Simulation of the United Nations

By Polyvios and Lara for the KCL MUN Chairing Program 2012

Historical Origins of the ConflictsEarly 20th C-1988 37 conflicts in the Middle East

Iraq-Iran War 1980-88

O R I G I N S ?

1.Religious Differences

Iraq leader Saddam Houssein Sunni MuslimMajority 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 tolls1969 – Iran abrogated the treaty leading to acute tension

3.Khuzestan oil-rich province

Large Arab speaking population

Key Political ActorsIraq - 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

Causes for Conflict• Territorial Claims

– KhuzestanIranian province, population has close ties to Iraq, Iraq claimed historical right for control of the region

– Small islands in the Persian GulfIraq 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

Causes for Conflict

The War Itself1980 – the tensions between the two countries were already high

September Iraq declares Shatt Al-Arab river theirs22.09 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

The War Itself

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

The War Itself / ctd.

The War Itself - Iraqi RetreatsMarch 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

The War Itself – Iraqi Retreats

The War Itself – War of Attrition1984• 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

The War Itself – War of Attrition

Casualties

Iran Iraq500,000 to 1m dead

Iranian government’s official figure at 188,015 fatalities in soldiers, militias and civilians

300,000 soldiers, militia and civilians killed or wounded

Casualties

War and military tactics

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

22 Semptember 1980Iraq invades Iran By June 1982 Iran regained lost territory

Iran on the offensive

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

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 BaghdadBoth sides – 7000 deaths

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

k

Human wave attacksOperation Jerusalem Way (Iran)Human sea attack-overrun the defenders by angaging in melee combat-shock the enemy to fall back

Iraq - 2500 killedIran - 6000

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

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

Chemical weapons

Iran was trying to capture BasraIraq counter attacked using mustard gas and nerve gas in violation of international law20 000 Iranian soldiers killed ; 80 000 affected

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

Tanker tactics

Early 1984-Iraq attacks Iranian tankers and Iranian oil terminalIran responded by attacking Iraqi tankers

546 commercial vessels damaged430 civilian sailors killed

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

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

20th August 1988UN Security Council Resolution 598

Ceasefire

International Community ReactionsIran Iraq

Saudi Arabia• Financial aid, up to US$1bn per month

United States• No secret support• Financial and military aid, chemicals,

military training,• Iraq as the ‘guarantor’ of US interests

in the regionSoviet Union• Supply of financial aid, weapons,

missiles

European Countries: United Kingdom, France, Kuwait, Italy, West Germany, Egypt, Jordan, Singapore

North Korea• Support in exchange for oil• By 1982, Iran’s major military supplier

Persian Gulf States: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates

Syria, Libya, China Others: Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Singapore

International Community Reaction

Relevant UN ActionUNSC 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

Relevant UN Actions

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?

Questions to Consider