September 22, 1980; Iraq invaded Iran
September 22nd 1980 Iraq invaded Iran from land and air and officially started the Iran-Iraq War which ended at 1988, making it to be considered the longest conventional and one of most destructive wars of the 20th century, with likely 1.5 million casualties and total cost of $1.2 billion for both sides.
Saddam Hussein claimed as the reason for his attack on Iran a territorial dispute over Shatt al-Arab, a waterway that empties into the Persian Gulf and forms the boundry between Iran and Iraq. In 1975 a partial control of the waterway was signed to Iran when Iraq was weaker in military point of view and Iran was somehow stable in its military system. But after the Iranian revolution and the resultant of weakening of Iran’s military, Iraq seized the opportunity to reclaim the Shatt al-Arab. In fact, Iraq also hoped to seize the south-west Iranian province of Khuzestan- an area known for its extensive oil fields.
The Iraqi offensive was initially successful, capturing the port city of Khorramshahr by the end of 1980. Iranian resistance proved strong, however, and Iraqi troops had withdrawn from the occupied portions of Iran by early 1982. This was a huge event and a true symbol of victory, as Iran was not only facing Iraq but a world of enemies who were continuously feeding and supporting Iraq (USA, USSR, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Czech, Denmark, Canada, Brazil, Saudi, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, etc and etc).
After all, the war left the borders unchanged. Two years later, as war with the western powers loomed, Saddam recognised Iranian rights over the eastern half of the Shatt al-Arab, a reversion to the status quo ante bellum that he had repudiated a decade earlier.
History Fast Forward:
1975: Settlement on frontiers between Iran and Iraq that involved increased territory for Iran compared to the borders prior to 1971.
1980 September 22: Iraq invades Iran, and has early victories.
1982: Iraq is driven out of Iran.
1983 -1985: Iraq battered, but not beaten.
1985 May 26: Iraq breaks cease fire again. Jordan’s Hussein & Egypt’s Mubarak visit Saddam to show their support.
1988 March 16: Iraq uses chemical weapons against Kurds supporting Iran in Halabja, killing 4,000.
1988 April 18: US blows up 2 Iranian oil rigs, destroys an Iranian frigate and immobilises another.
1988 July 03: the cruiser USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air’s Airbus A300B2-203, Flight 655 with the loss of all 290 passengers and crew.
1988 July 20: Iran accepts a UN resolution 598 to cease fighting (Iraq accepted the resolution about a year before Iran).
1988 August 20: Formal ceasefire in Iraq-Iran war. UN monitoring force established for Iran-Iraq border. Confirmation by UN that Iraq did use mustard gas against Iranian civilians.
