Causes

 Who started the Iran-Iraq war?

 What were the causes of the Iran-Iraq War?
 How long did it last?
 What were the Foreign influence in the war?
 How many died?
 Iraq's foreign minister, Sa'adoun Hammadi,
(1981) "The problem is neither new nor
simple. It goes back over 460 years of
history.”
 traditional rivalry - both powers attempting

to impose their hegemony on the Gulf region

 Hegemony is the political, economic,
ideological or cultural power exerted by a
dominant group over other groups,
regardless of the explicit consent of the
latter.
 The Shah saw himself as the sole guardian of Gulf
security. (1971)”I believe that the Persian Gulf
must always be kept open - under Iranian
protection - for the benefit of not only my country
but the other Gulf countries and the world…after
the British withdrawal from the Gulf, the safety
and security of the area had to be guaranteed,
who but Iran could fulfil this function?”
 Repeated attempts to make regional military
alliances with monarchy/US allied states in the
Gulf
 Iranian forces took over control of the three
islands at the mouth of the Gulf (Abu Mousa
and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs) in 1971
 Iraq: Iran's massive military modernization

program in the 1970s = expansionism at the

expense of the Arab neighbors
 Claims to sovereignty over Bahrain were
renewed
 (Encouraged) entire population of the Gulf

states in general, to stage "Iranian-style"

Islamic revolutions
 Iraq's Ba'athist ideology: Pan-Arabism resulted
in Iraq’s desire for Arab leadership
 Seeks to unify those Arabs within the
boundaries of one Arab nation-state "from the
Gulf to the Ocean
 Present political boundaries as temporary and
artificial and foreign inspired and imposed.
 Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel in 1979 –
leadership vacuum in Arab world.
◦ Iraq saw an opportunity to become “undisputed leader
of the Arab world”
 Khuzestan – large Arab population enclave in
Iran.
◦ Iraq supports secessionist movements
◦ “Arabistan which is part of Iraq's soil and was
annexed to Iran during foreign rule”
◦ Renaming Iran cities with Arabic names and
inclusion of province in Iraqi maps (Nasiriyyah)
◦ Iraqi agents and radio activitly calling for revolt
◦ Most oil rich province in Iran
 70,000 Iraqis of (questionable) Iranian origin
were forceable expelled in 1971
 Pre-World War 1 – Desire for independent state
 After World War 1, Kurds found themselves

divided between five countries (Iran, Iraq, Syria,

Turkey and the Soviet Union)
 Kurdish nationalist goal = sovereignty and

political integrity of the regional states would be

undermined
 Iraq is the most vulnerable and volatile since the

Kurds constitute a full 20% of the population, a

much higher percentage than in any of the other
states
 Result - guerilla warfare and rebellion have
broken out since the 1920s in Iraq
 Iraqi Kurdistan - main source of oil revenue

◦ “ to give up the region was considered tantamount

to committing economic suicide”
 The Shah's Iran actively supported the
Kurdish rebellion
◦ financially,
◦ politically – appealed to international community,
◦ Militarily – base of operation, military training, and
supplied with arms, ammunitions and logistics.
 1980 - Iran was supporting Shi'i elements in
Iraq and encouraging them to stage a take-
over of politics; and Iraq was supporting
ethnic unrest in Khozestan and Baluchistan,
in addition to Kurdistan
 Discuss how a causation link could be made
between the ethnic issues and the start of war
between Iraq and Iran
 Since 17th seventeenth century - subject of
political confrontation and negotiations
 “characteristic of the Iran-Iraq relationship is a

tendency to unilaterally abrogate treaties which

no longer seem to serve the interests of the
stronger party.”
 “Iran's politics since the 1600s have been marked

by an obsession with seeking at least partial, if

not full, control over the Gulf”
 Iran repeatedly traded northern territory for more

concessions along the Shatt

• Iraq's
longest
border is
with Iran.
•Narrow
waterway
formed by
the
confluence
of the
Tigris and
Euphrates
rivers
•120 miles
long
◦ Only outlet for Iraq/ important Iranian port of
Khorramshahr
◦ Part of the Khuzistan province which is the
major oil producing area for Iran (Arabic
speaking)
 1847: Treaty of Erzerum: gave sovereignty of the
water way to the Ottomans.
 1932: Britain gives all of the water to the new state
Iraq. Disputed by Iran
 1937 Agreement: Unimpeded Iranian access to the
water way
 1969: Iran unilaterally annuls the 1937 agreement.
◦ Begins support of Kurdish separatist movements
 1975 Algiers Agreement
 http://www.francona.com/commentaries/shatt.html
 Mid-point of the waterway will serve as the dividing line
between the two states
 Iran and US will stop supporting the Kurdish uprising
 Iran was to compensate territorially with 400 square
kilometers in the central Ahwaz zone
 Commissions were established to redraw the boundary
lines
◦ The work not complete when the Iranian Revolution
started
 Iranian leaders expressed their intentions to export their
revolution to neighboring countries
 Renewed fighting in Kurdish areas and revolution support
in AlDa'wa Party – Hussein viewed as violation of treaty
 Agreement publically torn up by Hussein 5 days before
invasion
 Dispute lead to series of minor military
exchanges along border that were increasing
in intensity.
 How could a territorial dispute cause a
conflict when there was a diplomatic
agreement four years earlier?
 Historical disputes over the legitimacy and
authenticity of theology in following the "true"
religion
 1420s traditional rivalry intensified and
formalized politically
◦ Safawi (Safavide) dynasty established in Persia
rebelling against O.E
◦ Established Shi'ism as the state religion
 “The Iranian Revolution revived an inter-
Islamic rivalry that had been dormant for
centuries between Sunni and Shi'i elements”
 Concept of vilayat-e faqih – Khomeini as
Imam
 Iraq, Bahrain and Gulf states threat from

Iranian- inspired secessionist movements

among their Shi'i populations or political
Islamic communities
 Exportation of the revolution
◦ Monarchy system “un-Islamic” “Western”
◦ Nationalism (including Arab nationalism) is
part of an imperialist conspiracy which
aims at destroying the Islamic Umma
(nation)
 The Ba'ath Party: secularist but not atheistic,
 Arabs not all Muslims – Arab nation is a mix

of different religious orientations.

 Religion in its proper perspective, side-by-

side with other considerations

 Hussein: “Khomeini is a mad mullah seeking

personal power and to return Iran to the 'dark

ages'."
 Iranian population 80% Shi'i and Iraqi Shi'is more than
50%
 Iraqi Baath Party policy of “marginalizing and
delegitimizing the Shia majority”
 Ayatollah Khomeini had developed a network in Iraq
during his time in exile in Iraq
 Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al Sadr inspirational
leader - was known to be a personal friend and a
protege of Ayatollah Khomeini. J
 July 1979 riots broke out in An Najaf and in Karbala
 Ad Dawah al Islamiyah (the Islamic Call)
 Assassination attempts (Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz
– only non-Muslim Minister) followed by number of
attempted assassinations of government officials
 Executions of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al Sadr
◦ Fear over the spread of Khomeini revolutions
◦ Riots in Bahrain,
◦ Bombings in Kuwait
◦ Violent seize of Grand Mosque in Mecca:
November 20 - December 4, 1979
Khomeini : “We are fighting to protect Islam
and he [Saddam Hussein] is fighting to
destroy Islam. At the moment, Islam is
completely confronted by blasphemy, and
you should protect and support Islam”
 Iran’s military destabilized by revolution
◦ Nearly all officers with ranks above colonel were
eliminated
◦ Desertion rateshigh among the regular military
personnel
◦ Replaced with Revolutionary Guard
◦ Iraq large military of 190,000 men, with 2,200
tanks and 450 aircrafts – Soviet supplied
 Iranian economy was in a shambles
◦ Shortages and oil production virtually halted
◦ inflation and unemployment ran high
 International diplomatic cover:
◦ Radical student elements were holding Americans
hostage in their own embassy
◦ International unease over “radical state”
◦ US elections, Afghanistan, Poland issues
 Unclear leadership
◦ Assembly of Experts (split between
moderates/Parliamentarians (Freedom Movement) and
the Council of the Islamic Republic, 12 member Council
of Guardians and the “Hidden Iman”
◦ Kurds and leftists openly rebelling
 Anticipated support of ethnic minorities
 war with limited military objectives – goal of

destablizing and toppling Iranian government

while still keeping ease of supply lines
 “Iraq's leaders chose an excellent moment to
attack Iran. “
 Both leaders recently in power
 Khomeini Feb 1979
 Hussein purging of the Baath Party July
1979
Iran
 challenges from moderates and the radical Islamic
socialist
 In process of writing and modifying the
constitution
 Bani-Sader elected as first President (committed to
concept of a secular government
 Tensions with the United States over Embassy
hostage crisis and attempted rescue
US
 Anti US rhetoric and hostage crisis in Iran
 Loss of major ally in Iran – double ally policy in the
Middle East
 Iran: The beginning of the war as September
22, 1980, the day the Iraqi forces crossed the
Iranian borders by land, sea and air
 Iraq: September 4, 1980, when the Iranians

pounded several civilian, economic and

military targets in the Shatt al-Arab area
◦ Iran had placed its military forces on high military
alert (April – following assiassination attempt and
A; Sadr’s execution)
◦ “preemptive action in self-defense”
 Using your understanding of Iran and Iraq
hegemony , Explain the following historical
conclusion: During the 1970’s Ba'ath and
Khomeini had a marriage of convenience
 THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR:
CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF THE WAR by: 
Ahmed H. El-Afandi

http://course1.winona.edu/aelafandi/polsci
270/iran-iraq-war.htm