War between Iran and Iraq 1980-88, claimed by
the former to have begun with the Iraq
offensive 21 Sept 1980, and by the latter
with the Iranian shelling of border posts 4
Sept 1980. Occasioned by a boundary dispute
over the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, it
fundamentally arose because of Iran's
encouragement of the Shi'ite majority in Iraq
to rise against the Sunni government of
Saddam Hussein. An estimated 1 million people
died in the war. The war's course was marked
by offensive and counter-offensive,
interspersed with extended periods of
stalemate. Chemical weapons were used, cities
and the important oil installations of the
area were the target for bombing raids and
rocket attacks, and international shipping
came under fire in the Persian Gulf
(including in 1987 the US frigate Stark,
which was attacked by the Iraqi airforce).
Among Arab states, Iran was supported by
Libya and Syria, the remainder supporting
Iraq. Iran also benefited from secret US arms
shipments, the disclosure of which in 1986
led to considerable scandal in the USA,
Irangate. The intervention of the USA 1987,
ostensibly to keep the sea lanes open, but
seen by Iran as support for Iraq, heightened,
rather than reduced, tension in the Gulf, and
United Nations attempts to obtain a ceasefire
failed. The war ended in Aug 1988 after
ceasefire talks in Geneva.