he Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-1980. Hiro says that the Carter administration was aware of Saddam Hussein's plans to attack Iran, provided Iraq through Saudi Arabia information on Iranian defenses and may even "have encouraged Iraq to attack Iran" (71).
The Iran-Iraq war began on September 22, 1980 with Iraqi air attacks on Iranian air bases and a land invasion of the central Iranian province of Khuzistan. Until mid-1982, Iran was on the defensive but was able to contain the thrust of the initial Iraqi offensives. During this period, the policy of the Reagan administration was to remain neutral. In the wake of the resolution of the hostage crisis, the
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