Iran

1
Iran Iraq War

• 1980 - 1988

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Beginnings

• Sept. 1980 Iraq invades iran
• Iraq bombed oil and military targets
• Saddam Hussien believed iran could be taken
  within days b/c of turmoil in iran

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Why was there turmoil inside iran in 1980?
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Ethnic religious make up

• Iran
• Persian
• Shiite majority

• Iraq
• Arab
• Shiite majority
• Sizable AND DOMINANTsunni population as well

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Why is the religious and ethnic make up of iran
and iraq significant?
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Causes of the war

• Border clashes in 79 when Ayatollah Khomeini
  takes power
• Iran encourages Shiites in Iraq to rise up
  against saddam
• Iraq wanted Khuzestan province in Iran (oil)
• Saddam had ambitions of controlling the region

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The World threat

• Oil routes threatened by mines
• 60 of oil used by the west passed through the
  strait of hormuz
• Danger of drawing in other mideast nations
• Cold war implications

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Oil it keeps coming up. Why?
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Key Targets

• Iraqs initial blitz failed
• Iranians rallied behind Ayattolah Khomeini
• Khomeini told iranians to drive out the infidels
• Oil fields destroyed
• 1million dead by the time the war was over

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Attacks on international shipping

• US frigate was hit by an iraqi missile (37
  sailors killed)
• 1987 iran mined persian gulf
• US warships began mine sweeping and escorting oil
  tankers
• 1987 naval confrontation between us and iran
• 1988 us shots down iranian civilian airliner (280
  killed)

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Taking sides

• Arab nations declare neutrality but support
  iraq (saudi arabia and kuwait lend iraq billions)
• Ussr started out neutral but supported iraq in
  the end
• USA sided w/ iraq, us supplied saddam with
  chemical and biological weapons

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