Causes & Consequences of Iran-Iraq War

The war was the longest and was among the most savage conventional wars of this century. There were also a number of important consequences of the war, apart from the casualties and other damage wreaked by it. These included: the consolidation in power of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship and secular Arab state in Iraq and the Islamic fundamentalist revolution in Iran; new developments in military tactics and the use of advanced weapons such as avionics and missiles and new uses for old ones (poison gas); and important economic and geopolitical impacts within the region and outside it. The war led in part to the Gulf War of 19901991.

According to Tareq Ismael, "the contemporary conflict is the latest manifestation of a centuriesold drama" (Ismael 39). The religious roots of the conflict dated back to the schism in the

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an army enabled Iraq by November, 1980 to seize 10,000 square miles of Iranian territory. Hussein then raised the stakes by calling for the abolition of the Khomeni regime and the incorporation of Khuzistan and other conquered areas into Iraq. As a lull in the fighting set in during the winter, the Iranians regrouped. Further advances were retarded by Hussein's interference in tactical decisions and his failure to follow a concentrated strategy. Although Iranian counterattacks in early 1981 failed, the regime rallied support in the population and reinforced its forces at the front. Before the war there had been considerable instability and several coup attempts. Hiro says that "the war unified Iranian leaders hitherto divided on the issue of sharing power" (43). Revolutionary Guard or pasaran divisions were formed. They were mostly composed of teenagers who were indoctrinated in Islamic principles and became infused with patriotic fervor. In September, 1981, the siege of Abadan was broken which "improved the morale of the Iranians" (54). For ideological reasons, Khomeni decided to finance the war from internal sources. Iranian oil revenues were severely reduced as a result of Iraqi air attacks on Kharg Island at which eighty pe
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