Iran Iraq War

1
Iran Iraq War

• Causes

2
Dispute over the Shat-Al-Arab

• Narrow waterway formed by the confluence of the
  Tigris and Euphrates rivers
• 120 miles long

3
History of the Dispute

• 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
• Mid-point of the waterway will serve as the
  dividing line between the two states
• Iran and US will stop supporting the Kurdish
  uprising
• http//www.francona.com/commentaries/shatt.html

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Dispute over the Shat-Al-Arab

• 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)
• 1975 Algiers Agreement
• Torn up by Hussein 5 days before invasion

5
Iranian Revolution

• Anxieties about the impact of the Khomeini regime
  on the Shiite population in Iraq and the Islamic
  community in general
• Majority population in Iraq are Shiite
• Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al Sadr
  inspirational leader
• 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).
• Executions of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqr al
  Sadr
• Populist government
• Exportation of the revolution
• call for the overthrow of corrupt secular Islamic
  states
• Monarchy system unIslamic Western

6
Opportunism

• Irans military destabilized by revolution
• 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
• Purging of military officials and creation of the
  Revolutionary Guard
• Iraq large military of 190,000 men, with 2,200
  tanks and 450 aircrafts Soviet supplied

7
Consolidation of Power

• Both leaders recently in power
• Khomeini Feb 1979
• Hussein purging of the Baath Party July 1979

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Consolidation of Power

• 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

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Impact of foreign governments
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Impact of foreign governments

• Other Gulf States
• 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
• US
• Anti US rhetoric and hostage crisis in Iran
• Loss of major ally in Iran double ally policy
  in the Middle East

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