Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) War and Social Upheaval

The War reached a climax in 1988. Four major battles occurred between April to August 1988, all of which resulted in serious Iranian defeats. The Iraqi victories were in large part due to changing tactics developed by Army Chief of Staff General Nizar Khazraji. [Frankel, p. 12.] These Iraqi victories occurred for two major reasons. 1) The Soviets since 1982 had been supplying sophisticated weaponry to Iraq. The Iranians on the other hand could not obtain comaprable weaponry having alienated both the Soviets and Americams. The Iranians at the beginning of the War had a supply of modern weapons purchased by the Shah from America. By 1988 these weapons had been largely exahusted and the Iranians were having increasing difficuly, especially keeping their aging American fighters in the air. This imbalance was all to obvious on the battlefield when the Iraqis launched their offenmsive strikes. 2) The Iraqi showed evidence of learning from past mistakes and comducyed increasingly sophisticated and well-coordinated attacks. The Iraqi Republican Guard in a text-book 36-hour battle finally retook the Al-Faw Peninsula. The Iraqis again used chemical weapons. 3) Iraq responding to Iranian air attacks in 1988 fired 190 missiles over a 6-week period at Iranian cities. This was caused the 'War of the Cities'. The missiles attacks caused little real damage, but had a devestating imapct on Iranian morale. Almost 30 percent of Tehran's population fleed the city. The threat of continued missle attack, possibly with chemical warhears, is believed to be an important reason that Iran finally agreed to end the War. 4) Ayatollah Khomeini died June 3, 1989. The Assembly of Experts--an elected body of senior clerics--chose the outgoing president, but by 1988 he notably weakening. This was almost ceratinly an important factor.