Resistance of the outnumbered and outgunned Iranians in Khorramshahr

On September 22, 1980, Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein, initiated a war against Iran that would last for nearly eight years and result in an estimated death toll of over 450,000 people on both sides. The decision to attack Iran was influenced by several factors.

Saddam Hussein harbored concerns about the rise of fundamentalism in Iran and its potential effects on the Shi'ite majority in Iraq. In 1979, Iran had undergone an Islamic revolution, which resulted in the establishment of an Islamic Republic led by the religious cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Saddam, a Sunni Muslim ruling over a country with a Shi'ite majority, feared the spread of this Shi'ite Islamist ideology to his country, which he worried could destabilize his regime.

In addition to the ideological differences, there were longstanding territorial disputes between Iraq and Iran, specifically regarding the Shatt al-Arab waterway. The Shatt al-Arab is a vital river for both nations, providing access to the Persian Gulf. Control over this waterway had been a contentious issue for decades, with both countries laying claim to it.

Furthermore, Saddam saw the political turmoil and instability within Iran following the 1979 revolution as an opportunity. He believed that the disarray within the Iranian armed forces and the power vacuum created by the overthrow of the Shah would give Iraq a distinct military advantage.

On the strategic front, Saddam was also motivated by aspirations of establishing Iraq as the dominant power in the Persian Gulf region. He wanted to exert more control over the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and increase Iraq's influence over the region's oil resources.

The war began with Iraq launching simultaneous invasions along the western Iranian border and bombing Iranian airfields to destroy the Iranian air force on the ground. Iraq's initial assault was met with resistance and eventually stalled due to unexpected Iranian resilience, marking the beginning of a protracted and bloody conflict.

The war saw extensive use of chemical weapons by Iraq and human wave tactics by Iran. It also witnessed the involvement of several foreign powers, with the Soviet Union, the United States, and France providing support to Iraq, while Iran was largely isolated.

Despite the war's length and the heavy loss of life, the conflict did little to alter the borders between Iran and Iraq. A ceasefire was agreed upon in 1988 following a series of Iranian defeats and the downing of an Iranian passenger jet by the U.S. Navy, which was mistaken for a fighter jet.

In terms of political outcomes, the war solidified Saddam Hussein's control over Iraq and fostered a sense of nationalism among Iranians, thereby consolidating the Islamic regime. Economically, both nations suffered severely due to the destruction of infrastructure, the loss of human resources, and the high costs of warfare.

The Iraq-Iran war was a significant event in Middle Eastern history and had profound regional and global impacts. The conflict influenced the politics of the Middle East, led to a shift in international alliances, and set the stage for future conflicts in the region, including the Gulf Wars.