The Iran-Iraq War, Mapped

Summary

The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) was a pivotal yet often overlooked conflict that reshaped the Middle East. It pitted Iran, newly embroiled in an Islamic revolution, against Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The war, marked by trench and chemical warfare, drew in global powers and regional states, leading to devastating human and economic costs. It set the stage for future Middle Eastern conflicts, including the US invasion of Iraq, and defined Iran's hostile relationship with the West. The war's legacy continues to influence regional dynamics and international relations.

Takeaways

• ⏳ The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) was a significant yet often overlooked conflict that shaped the Middle East's geopolitical landscape.
• 🔥 It began with Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, aiming to capitalize on Iran's internal turmoil following the Islamic Revolution and to reverse a treaty that had cost Iraq control over a strategic waterway.
• 🌐 The war drew in regional and global powers, reflecting the Cold War dynamics and interests in maintaining the status quo or promoting revolutionary change.
• 📡 Iran's revolutionaries, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, sought to export their Islamic revolution, causing alarm among neighboring Sunni Arab states and prompting their financial support for Iraq.
• 💣 Both sides engaged in brutal warfare, including the use of chemical weapons by Iraq against Iran and its own Kurdish population, with global powers turning a blind eye to these war crimes.
• 🛳 The conflict spilled into the Persian Gulf, targeting oil tankers and threatening global oil supplies, leading to international naval deployments.
• 💔 The war resulted in over a million casualties and left deep scars on the societies involved, fostering a legacy of mistrust and hostility towards external powers.
• 🔄 The conflict's end did not resolve underlying tensions, setting the stage for ongoing proxy wars and regional conflicts, particularly between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
• 🇮🇷 Iran emerged with a strengthened revolutionary regime and a hardened stance towards the West, influencing its pursuit of nuclear capabilities.
• 🇾🇪 The war's aftermath contributed to Saddam Hussein's decision to invade Kuwait, which in turn led to his eventual downfall and the US invasion of Iraq.

Q & A

What were the key factors that led to the Iran-Iraq War in 1980?

The key factors included Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini, causing regional instability and fear among neighboring countries, especially Iraq. Additionally, long-standing border disputes over the Shatt al-Arab waterway and oil-rich territories, and Saddam Hussein's desire to take advantage of Iran's post-revolutionary weakness, played significant roles.

How did the Iranian Revolution impact the Middle East and its neighboring countries?

The Iranian Revolution led to a shift in regional power dynamics, with Iran turning from a US ally to a fierce enemy. It also inspired Iran to export its revolution to neighboring countries, causing fear among Sunni leaders and prompting a response from countries like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

What was the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in Iran during the Iran-Iraq War?

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard was established to protect the revolution and suppress opposition. It played a crucial role in defending Iran during the war, especially after releasing jailed military officers to organize the defense against Iraq.

Why did Saddam Hussein decide to invade Iran in 1980?

Saddam Hussein saw the post-revolutionary weakness in Iran as an opportunity to weaken a major rival, reclaim the Shatt al-Arab waterway and oil-rich territories, and potentially unify the Arab world under his leadership.

How did the war affect the global oil supply and what were the responses from global powers?

The war threatened the global oil supply due to attacks on oil tankers and facilities. Global powers, including the US and the Soviet Union, became involved, with the US providing support to Iraq and the Soviet Union becoming a top supplier of weapons to Iraq, showing unusual alignment during the Cold War.

What was the impact of the Iran-Iraq War on the Kurdish population in Iraq?

The war provided an opportunity for the Kurdish population to fight for autonomy, but it also led to brutal repression by Saddam Hussein, including the use of chemical weapons in the Halabja massacre and a broader genocidal campaign against the Kurds.

How did the use of chemical weapons by Iraq during the war affect the conflict and the international response?

The use of chemical weapons by Iraq led to significant civilian and military casualties, but the international response was muted due to Iraq's strategic importance to global powers, which chose to prioritize their interests over condemning the war crimes.

What was the 'Iran-Contra scandal' mentioned in the script, and how was it related to the Iran-Iraq War?

The Iran-Contra scandal was a political scandal in the US where officials secretly sold missiles to Iran, which was under an arms embargo, and used the proceeds to fund anti-communist Contras in Nicaragua. This was happening while the US was also supporting Iraq in its war against Iran.

How did the Iran-Iraq War set the stage for future conflicts in the Middle East?

The war intensified the sectarian divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims, solidified Iran's hostile relationship with the West, and established a pattern of proxy wars in the region. It also left Iraq with significant debts and internal dissent, which contributed to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait and subsequent conflicts.

What were the long-term consequences of the Iran-Iraq War for Iran and Iraq?

For Iran, the war led to economic strain, social disruption, and a hardened stance against foreign interference. For Iraq, it resulted in significant debt, internal repression, and eventually, Saddam Hussein's downfall due to his actions against Kuwait and the perception of weapons of mass destruction.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Origins of the Iran-Iraq War

The paragraph sets the stage for the Iran-Iraq War, highlighting the geopolitical context of the Middle East in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It discusses the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. The new regime's hostility towards Western powers and the Soviet Union, along with its efforts to export the revolution to neighboring countries, is emphasized. The paragraph also details Iraq's concerns under Saddam Hussein, especially regarding the Shia majority and border disputes with Iran, which led to Iraq's decision to invade Iran in 1980, initiating a conflict that would last eight years.

05:02

🔥 The Escalation of Conflict

This section delves into the military strategies and regional involvement in the Iran-Iraq War. It describes Iraq's initial surprise attack on Iran, the failed air strikes, and the subsequent involvement of other Middle Eastern countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, each with their own strategic interests. The paragraph also discusses the global powers' attempts to negotiate a ceasefire and Iran's refusal, with Khomeini viewing the war as a unifying force. The support from China and the US to Iraq, despite its use of chemical weapons, is highlighted, illustrating the complex alliances and interests at play.

10:03

🏺 The Brutality of War

The paragraph focuses on the intensification of the war, with a shift towards more brutal tactics by both sides. It details the human wave attacks and the use of chemical weapons by Iraq against Iran and the Kurdish population within Iraq. The paragraph also covers the 'oil war' in the Persian Gulf, where both countries targeted oil tankers, leading to international involvement by countries like the US to protect their shipping interests. The civilian casualties and the psychological impact of the war on the population are also discussed, emphasizing the long-term effects of the conflict.

15:04

🏛️ War Crimes and Genocide

This section addresses the war crimes committed during the conflict, particularly the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja by Iraqi forces, which resulted in a significant loss of civilian life. It discusses Saddam Hussein's broader campaign against the Kurds and the international response, or lack thereof. The paragraph also touches on the internal pressures in Iran leading to a desire for peace, the role of the US in the conflict, and the eventual ceasefire that left the borders unchanged despite the massive loss of life and resources.

20:05

🔮 Legacy and Continuing Conflicts

The final paragraph reflects on the lasting impact of the Iran-Iraq War on the Middle East and global politics. It discusses how the war shaped Iran's relationship with the world, particularly the US, and influenced Saddam Hussein's actions leading up to the Gulf War and the Iraq War. The paragraph also connects the legacy of the Iran-Iraq War to current conflicts in the region, such as those in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, and the ongoing cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The summary concludes by emphasizing the enduring influence of the war on the political landscape of the Middle East.

Keywords

💡Iran-Iraq War

The Iran-Iraq War refers to the conflict that lasted from 1980 to 1988 between Iran and Iraq. It was one of the longest conventional wars of the 20th century and is central to the video's theme as it discusses the war's impact on the Middle East and its role in shaping current regional dynamics. The war is mentioned throughout the script as the backdrop for various political and military events.

💡Revolution

A revolution is a fundamental change in political power or organizational structures that typically involves the people. In the context of the video, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is highlighted, which overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. This revolution is a key event that precipitated the Iran-Iraq War and influenced the region's political landscape.

💡Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. He is a central figure in the video as the leader who initiated the invasion of Iran in 1980. His actions and decisions during the war, including the use of chemical weapons and the invasion of Kuwait, are discussed as pivotal moments that influenced the outcome of the war and subsequent regional conflicts.

💡Islamic Revolutionary Guard

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces founded after the Iranian Revolution. It is mentioned in the script as a military force established by Khomeini to protect the revolution and suppress opposition. The Guard's role in the war and its subsequent evolution into a powerful political and economic entity in Iran is relevant to understanding Iran's military and political structure.

💡Proxy War

A proxy war is a conflict where two states or groups indirectly engage in combat through third parties rather than confronting each other directly. The video discusses how the Iran-Iraq War became a proxy war, with regional and global powers backing different sides. For instance, the US and the Soviet Union both supported Iraq, while other countries like Israel provided support to Iran.

💡Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons are weapons that use toxic chemicals to cause harm or death. The video details Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran and the Kurdish population, which is a war crime. The script mentions how global powers turned a blind eye to these actions, which had significant humanitarian consequences and set a precedent for future conflicts.

💡Stalemate

A stalemate in military terms refers to a situation where neither side can make progress, typically resulting in a prolonged period of inaction. The video describes several points in the war where both Iran and Iraq reached stalemates, leading to a prolonged conflict without decisive victories. This concept is crucial for understanding the war's duration and the eventual ceasefire.

💡Human Wave Attacks

Human wave attacks involve sending large numbers of soldiers in waves to overwhelm the enemy's defenses, often resulting in high casualties. The video mentions these tactics being used by Iran during the war, particularly in their attempts to capture Basra. This strategy is indicative of the war's brutality and the high human cost of the conflict.

💡Iran-Contra Scandal

The Iran-Contra scandal was a political scandal in the 1980s involving the sale of missiles to Iran and the funding of Contra rebels in Nicaragua. The video briefly touches on this as an example of the US's complex and sometimes contradictory involvement in the region during the war. The scandal illustrates the intricate web of foreign policy decisions and their unintended consequences.

💡Halabja

Halabja was a Kurdish town in Iraq where a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's forces in 1988 killed thousands of civilians. The video recounts this event as one of the war's most horrific incidents. The mention of Halabja serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the war and the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations.

Highlights

The Iran-Iraq War, lasting from 1980 to 1988, was one of the most devastating conflicts of the late 20th century, involving trench and chemical warfare.

The war was a result of regional power struggles and disputes over border territories, particularly access to the Persian Gulf.

Iran was in turmoil following the 1979 revolution, which overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini.

Saddam Hussein saw the Iranian revolution as an opportunity to reclaim territories and weaken a regional rival.

The war had a significant impact on global politics, influencing U.S.-Iraq relations and setting the stage for future Middle Eastern conflicts.

Both Iran and Iraq received support from various global powers, including the United States and the Soviet Union, which had different interests in the conflict.

The war saw the use of chemical weapons by Iraq against Iran, with international powers turning a blind eye to these war crimes.

The conflict led to the displacement of millions of people and left a lasting impact on the civilian populations of both countries.

The Iran-Iraq War resulted in over a million casualties and significant economic and social damage to both nations.

The war highlighted the complex dynamics of the Middle East, with regional powers backing different sides based on their strategic interests.

The conflict set the stage for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, as the relationship between the U.S. and Iraq continued to deteriorate.

The war also solidified Iran's often-hostile stance towards the West, particularly the United States.

The Iran-Iraq War is a significant but often overlooked event in modern history, with far-reaching consequences that continue to shape the Middle East today.

The conflict demonstrated the willingness of global powers to support regimes engaged in atrocities, as long as it served their strategic interests.

The war's legacy includes ongoing tensions between Iran and its neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia, and the ongoing influence of proxy wars in the region.

The Iran-Iraq War serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of regional conflicts and the role of external powers in exacerbating these situations.

Transcripts

(soft dramatic music)

- One of the most important wars

of the last 50 years is one that we don't hear about much.

When in 1980, two of the Middle East's

most powerful countries, Iran and Iraq,

waged eight years of some of the worst trench

and chemical warfare since World War I,

leaving both countries devastated.

This is the war that fractured the Middle East

into lines that still play out

in nearly every conflict there today.

It set the US and Iraq on a path

that ultimately led to the American invasion.

And it defined Iran's often hostile relationship

with the wider world.

This is the Iran-Iraq War.

It's 1979, and Iran is in the middle of a revolution.

(crowd chanting)

The country is coming off of decades of being ruled

by The Shah, a king that the US and UK

had installed in the 50s after covertly overthrowing

Iran's democratically-elected leader.

But after years of The Shah's corrupt autocratic rule,

a mass uprising violently overthrows him,

creating what becomes an Islamic republic,

headed by an ayatollah named Ruhollah Khomeini.

(soft dramatic music)

Khomeini, and a group of Shia religious scholars,

want to impose fundamentalist rule on the country

and are hostile to both the Western powers

and the neighboring Soviet Union.

They establish a military force

called the Islamic Revolutionary Guard,

which is meant to protect their hold on the revolution

and to suppress the other groups

who helped overthrow The Shah.

The US is watching all of this in shock.

Their biggest ally in the region, and a major oil producer,

has just turned from friend to fierce enemy.

But the biggest tremors of this revolution

are felt in the rest of the Middle East.

(soft dramatic music)

Iran sends out radio broadcasts to Arab countries

like Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Iraq,

calling for people to rise up and overthrow

their own rulers.

They're trying to export their revolution to their neighbors

to gain new allies in the region.

Neighboring leaders, most of them Sunni Muslim,

don't like this.

Saudi Arabia's king fears being overthrown

just like The Shah was.

And in Iraq, Saddam Hussein sees this

Shia religious revolution on his eastern border

and worries that the Shia majority that he rules over

will rise up against him too.

But he also sees this as an opportunity.

Iran and Iraq have been fighting

over this border territory for years.

This waterway is a critical access point to the Persian Gulf

where both countries export their oil

to the rest of the world.

In a treaty between the two back in 1975,

Saddam had to give up full control of this waterway,

as well as access to oil-rich regions in what was now Iran.

Saddam hates this treaty

and is considering taking the waterway back by force.

The Iranian revolution has left the country

weak and fractured.

Khomeini and his revolutionary guard are still fighting

other political factions for control.

The Iranian military, which used to be funded

and trained by the United States, is now weak,

its leaders having been jailed

or executed after the revolution.

Iran's military would normally be able to crush Iraq

in an invasion, but maybe not anymore.

Saddam sees this as an opportunity to weaken a major rival.

(soft dramatic music)

Saddam is also riding on a delusion that he himself

is going to unify the Arab world under his leadership.

If he invades Iran,

maybe the rest of the Middle East will rally behind him

against this new common enemy.

He thinks it'll be a quick victory.

So in September of 1980,

he decides to prepare 10,000 Iraqi troops

to cross the border to invade Iran.

(soft dramatic music) (engine rumbling)

What's about to happen here

isn't just the start of a new war.

Saddam is kicking off a dynamic that will dominate

the Middle East for more than 40 years,

the fight between revolutionary change and status quo power.

(soft dramatic music)

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Let's dive back into this story.

The war officially starts when Saddam sends

his air force over the border in a surprise attack

on Iranian air bases. (soft dramatic music)

His 10,000 soldiers cross from Basra into Southern Iran.

Further north, Saddam opens a second front

to seize strategically-located border towns

and put pressure on his enemy.

These air attacks mostly fail,

and Iran responds with airstrikes of their own

into Iraqi territory hitting oil facilities.

Iran still has sophisticated jets that the United States

had given the previous regime.

This gives them an edge in the air.

(bombs exploding)

The war quickly sucks in the rest of the region.

Israel is among the first.

It wants to keep these two adversaries occupied,

fighting with each other, keeping both sides weak.

So almost immediately, Israel secretly sells supplies

and parts to Iran.

This helps the Iranian air force keep planes in the air.

Now, Iran and Israel are not friends,

but Israel sees Iraq as a greater threat here.

So they're willing to support.

Iran needs to get its military organized

if they're gonna fight this war.

So they release military officers

that they had jailed during the revolution.

War tends to unify a nation,

and in this case, the fractured country of Iran

is unifying around Iraq's invasion,

creating this irony that Saddam is the one

who actually cements Khomeini's hold on power.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also step in here,

giving billions of dollars to fund Iraq's war efforts.

They want to weaken Iran and turn back its revolution.

The Middle East is now dividing between,

on one side, Arab states who are ruled by aging,

Sunni monarchies and strong men who fear change,

and on the other side, a Shia Iran

bent on revolution, on remaking the region in its image.

China is also watching this war.

They say they will maintain strict neutrality,

but they take the opportunity to sell weapons

to both sides of the conflict.

They eventually become Iran's top supplier of weapons.

(gentle music)

For most of 1981, the two armies are in a stalemate,

with Iraq holding small

but important stretches of border territory.

The global powers see this stalemate

and try to negotiate a ceasefire,

hoping that this conflict that threatens so much

of the global oil supply will end soon.

What they don't know is that

this is really just the beginning.

Saddam agrees to the ceasefire, but Khomeini does not.

This war has become so useful to his goals,

unifying the country and keeping the military occupied

so that it doesn't become a rival to his power.

Khomeini needs the war to continue.

So Iran demands that Saddam Hussein step down.

They say the war will continue until his rule is ended.

Saddam, of course, refuses.

So Iran goes on the offensive.

Their forces are now organized.

Their officers have been freed from jail,

and they're able to recapture the territory

that Saddam had taken, even pushing into Iraq.

Saddam's hopes of a quick victory

and a gain of some valuable territory are now dead.

So he turns to the United States for support

and the US agrees to help.

They hope to weaken Iran

and its call for anti-American

Islamic revolution across the region.

So the US starts giving Saddam intelligence

and satellite imagery on Iranian troop movement.

(soft dramatic music)

Iraq also gets another big backer, the Soviet Union.

The Soviets are at war in neighboring Afghanistan

trying to suppress another religious uprising,

but they also have allies in this region.

So over the course of the war,

the Soviets become a top supplier of weapons to Iraq.

Now remember the situation between these two.

It's a tense moment in the Cold War,

and the United States and Soviet Union

are suddenly supporting the same side

of this Middle East conflict, both backing the country

that will support the status quo, nothing changing,

allowing their great power struggle to continue as it has.

But by the summer of 1982,

Iran is now pushing into Iraqi territory,

much of their campaign focused on the city of Basra.

If Iran can take Basra, it will cut off Iraq

from the Persian Gulf,

preventing them from shipping out their oil.

Iraqi forces are outnumbered here, so they start to dig in

and build trenches, erecting barbed wire barriers,

planting landmines and surrounding the city

to stop Iran from taking it.

The fighting starts to resemble the brutal warfare

of World War I, waves of artillery strikes,

and the Iranian military resorting to human wave attacks

where thousands of boys and men charge over open fields

leading to huge numbers of casualties.

Iran is not successful in taking the city,

but this attack does weaken Saddam,

showing that he's vulnerable.

And this is where we need to look to the north

to talk about the Kurds.

(soft dramatic music)

The Kurds are a minority group in the north of Iraq.

They've been long suppressed by Saddam Hussein,

and they see this moment as an opportunity

to break away from Iraq to make their own country.

So Kurdish forces start fighting with the Iraqi army,

taking towns and villages.

So now Saddam is fighting two different armies,

one of which lives in his own country.

Iran starts sending support to the Kurds

who have a presence in this mountainous,

oil-rich part of Iraq.

If the Kurds can hold it and keep Saddam's regime

away from all of this oil,

it would have a major effect on this war.

This is a big deal for Saddam, and he switches tactics

to make sure he can control this northern area.

He escalates by using chemical weapons

against the Kurds as well as the Iranians.

Shells filled with mustard gas,

weapons that cause extreme burning and blindness,

a weapon that is illegal under international law,

but even still the global powers

who are supporting him mostly look the other way.

The US starts sending technology and money to Saddam,

even restoring official diplomatic ties with Iraq.

This allows Iraq to buy technology from the United States

that helps them develop their weapons programs,

including the horrific chemical and biological weapons

that he will soon be using on the battlefield.

They need him to keep fighting because this war has changed.

It went from protecting Saddam from revolution

to now using Saddam to weaken Iran.

So they keep supporting him,

showing him that he can use chemical weapons

without being punished.

The chemical attacks help push back Iranian forces,

and the war reaches a new stalemate.

(soft dramatic music)

1984 is the year that the oil war begins in this conflict.

Iraq starts attacking Iranian oil tankers

in the Persian Gulf using new jets provided by France,

a new entrant to this conflict.

Saddam warns that he'll also attack any ship

going into Iranian ports.

Iran retaliates by attacking oil tankers

carrying Iraq's oil.

The oil that the entire globe relies on

is now at the center of this increasingly brutal conflict.

Hundreds of commercial ships are attacked by both sides,

resulting in the death of over 400 civilian sailors.

The US has to send in two frigates

and a guided missile destroyer into the Persian Gulf

to escort US ships, hoping that their presence

will stop these attacks. (soft dramatic music)

Meanwhile, Iran is making progress on the ground,

slowly taking territory from Iraq

and continuing attacks on the vital port city of Basra.

It's 1985 and Saddam is about to escalate to a new extreme.

(soft dramatic music)

He starts shooting missiles and dropping bombs

on Iranian cities all over the country,

including the capitol.

This kills 16,000 people and leaves many homeless.

Iran responds, striking Iraqi cities,

firing these massive missiles,

primarily at the capital of Baghdad.

These strikes hit civilian targets like a school

and a bus station with hundreds of casualties.

Civilians on both sides are now caught in the crossfire

of this brutally escalating war.

Their cities and their homes are not safe, so many flee.

These events leave an entire generation scarred

by the trauma of war and a disdain for the outside powers

that have ripped their country apart.

And speaking of outside powers,

this is when the US starts double dealing.

They start selling missiles to Iran,

which gives Iran an edge against Iraqi forces

who the US is also supporting.

Behind all this is President Ronald Reagan,

who wants to use the money from this deal

to fund an anti-communist militia group in Nicaragua.

It's all supposed to be a secret,

but will eventually come out

and be known as the Iran-Contra scandal.

Meanwhile, Kuwait is asking the US to be more aggressive

to protect their oil tankers.

Iranian attacks on their ships have started to take a toll.

The US is getting more involved in the war.

Their presence in the Persian Gulf is growing.

They start putting American flags on Kuwaiti tankers

to deter Iran from attacking them.

And then in March of 1988,

Iran partners with the Kurdish fighters

to take over the Iraqi town of Halabja.

The Kurds know that this is going to set Saddam off,

and they brace themselves for a brutal retaliation.

But what comes next is worse

than anyone could have prepared for.

The Iraqi army drops bombs in artillery shells

containing deadly chemicals, blanketing the entire town

with a cloud of deadly gas that sinks into homes

and buildings and the underground shelters

where many were hiding for protection.

It's a brutal attack that kills over 5,000 Iraqi Kurds,

mostly unarmed civilians.

And it was a part of a broader campaign

that Saddam was now waging to wipe out

the Kurdish people entirely.

He now had what he believed was a justification.

So the Iraqi army starts going village to village,

dropping chemical weapons on civilians

and executing any survivors.

This resulted in an estimated 50 to 100,000 deaths

in what has now been deemed as a genocide,

one of the many war crimes committed by Saddam Hussein.

The US knows this is happening,

and yet according to now-public documents,

the official government line was to turn a blind eye,

to blame everything on Iran.

Saddam's horrific war crimes project a new fear

onto the civilians in Iran who now worry that a missile

loaded with deadly gas could land on their cities.

Many flee to take shelter in the mountains.

And by now, after eight years of devastating war,

Iran's economy and social order is frayed.

Their leader, Ayatollah Khomeini,

is feeling the pressure to end this war.

More than a million lives have been lost in this war.

All sides are looking for a way out.

And the UN Security Council is pressuring the parties

to accept a ceasefire.

Then in July of 1988, a US ship in the Persian Gulf

shoots down an Iranian passenger jet,

(soft dramatic music)

killing all 290 civilians on board.

The US shakes it off as an unfortunate accident,

saying that they mistook the airliner

for a hostile F-16 fighter jet.

They pay compensation to the victim's families,

and President Reagan sends a letter apologizing,

but the government never formally apologizes.

And the captain of the ship who did this

later received a medal which fed a deep suspicion in Iran

that this attack was deliberate,

that it was a scheme to coerce them into accepting peace.

Fear of more American attacks,

along with a new offensive by Iraq,

pushes the Iranian forces to withdraw from the country,

and both sides finally accept a ceasefire.

(gentle music)

The war is finally over, and after all of this,

the borders were unchanged from before the fighting.

But in some ways, this was really just the first round

in a larger conflict that has continued through to today,

a war for the future of the Middle East,

one that the United States is deeply involved in

but that most expresses itself as a cold war

between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who now fuel civil wars

around the region in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen,

backing their own proxy fighters

and making these conflicts worse.

But another major takeaway here is that this war

defined Iran's relationship to the rest of the world,

especially the United States.

Iranian hardliners came to feel confirmed in their belief

that they could never trust an outside world

bent on Iran's destruction

and seemingly unconstrained in their violence,

leading some leaders to conclude that only nuclear weapons

could stave off disaster from the outside.

Saddam Hussein's Iraq emerged battered by this war,

humiliated by this failure against Iran.

He faced growing internal resistance from his people,

which he suppressed with more and more violence.

He also came out of this with huge war debts

to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Angry that his allies had billed him to fight a war

on their behalf, a few years later,

Saddam invades Kuwait seeking its oil,

taking the spoils that he felt he was owed.

And this is when his one-time backer, the United States,

quickly turns against him, expelling him from Kuwait

and beating him back in a swift 43-day victory,

cutting him off from the world economy

and turning him into a pariah, an enemy.

A decade after Saddam had gassed his own people,

the US finally blamed him for it,

turning it into a byword for his cruelty

and the centerpiece for their demand that he stepped down.

A few years later, George W. Bush would cite these weapons

of mass destructions, the ones that he would never find,

as a reason to invade the country to topple Saddam.

Bush's war room was filled with the same officials

who had covered for Saddam and his war crimes

in the first place, and making it so crystal clear that,

even though this war between Iran and Iraq

ended decades ago, the Middle East we see today

is built off of what happened

during those eight brutal years.