the Iran-Iraq war
1980 In September, five years after the Vietnam War, a war broke out between Iraq and Iran in the Middle East. It is not surprising that a war broke out in the Middle East. It is called a powder keg. However, neither the international community nor both sides of the war expected that the war lasted for eight years, and it was not until August 20, 1988 that Iran and Iraq both ended.
This war has caused heavy losses to the two major oil-producing countries in the Middle East, countless civilians have lost their homes, and the economies of the two countries have suffered almost devastating blows. So, why did Iraq and Iran go to war? What was the cause of the Iran-Iraq war?
First, is it an old problem of international disputes? Territorial dispute. Territorial disputes are the focus of conflicts and even wars in most countries in the world, and the Iran-Iraq war is no exception. As a big country in the Middle East, Iraq and Iran have a long border. Such a long border and historical border disputes have become the focus of contradictions between the two countries.
Middle East
After Iraq's independence, the dividing line between Iraq and Iran has been controversial, especially the dividing line of the Arabian River. The Arabian border river is about 100 km long. The original division method is: the infiltration line on the Iranian side is the boundary, and the river sovereignty belongs to Iraq. However, both sides have the right to sail freely.
However, this situation changed in 1937. According to 19 14, the minutes of the talks between the demarcation committees of the two sides and the provisions of the 1937 border treaty, Iraq and Iran agree that the border between Khorramshahr and Abadan is about 1 1 km long, and the river deepwater line is used. In other words, the border between the two countries has moved from the diving side of Iran to the deep water section.
Based on this, Iran proposes that this boundary river should be bounded by the center of the main channel of the river in accordance with international practice. Obviously, Iraq, which suffered a loss, naturally refused. But at this time, although the two countries have border contradictions, they are far from reaching the point of war. 1975 In March, under the mediation of Algeria, both Arab countries and secular countries Iran and Iraq signed the Algiers Agreement.
the Iran-Iraq war
According to the provisions of the Algiers Agreement, Iraq recognized that the middle line of the main channel of the Arabian River was designated as the dividing line between the two rivers. However, Iran still needs to return about 300 square kilometers of Iraqi territory in four regions, including Zaingoz. Because these four areas have always belonged to Iraqi territory in history. Meanwhile, Iran must also promise not to support Iraqi Kurdish rebels.
It can be said that the Algiers Agreement is very beneficial to improving the relations between the two countries, and it is also an obvious win-win agreement. However, after the completion of the treaty, the former Iranian King Pahlavi, who signed the treaty, began to renege, and he did not return the 300 square kilometers of territory he promised to Iraq as stipulated in the agreement.
At this time, Saddam Hussein, the vice chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Committee, who is specifically responsible for signing the treaty and has not yet taken office as president, is naturally extremely dissatisfied. He began to regard this agreement as a disgrace to Iraq, and Iran's breach of contract also laid the groundwork for the final conflict between the two countries.
Saddam Hussein
Second, it is due to religious reasons. As we all know, the Middle East is an Islamic country. Islam is mainly divided into two sects, namely Sunni Muslims in the majority and Shia Muslims in the minority, while Iran is a country dominated by Shia Muslims.
Iraq is special. Although Shiite Muslims in Iraq account for the majority of the country: 60% of Iraqis belong to Shiite Muslims, it is Sunni Muslims who have long been in power in Iraq. Including Saddam Hussein, who later became president of Iraq, is also a Sunni Muslim.
Differences and disputes between religious factions have also become the focus of contradictions between the two countries. Especially in 1979, when civil strife broke out in Iran, Iranian Shiite religious leader Khomeini came to power, he constantly exported the Islamic revolution to the outside world, repeatedly provoking the feelings of Iraqi Shiite Muslims, further aggravating the contradiction between Iraq and Iran.
Iran's Supreme Leader Khomeini
Third, because of the contradiction between Saddam and Khomeini. 1979 is a crucial year in the middle east. This year, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein came to power and became the great dictator of Iraq. At the same time, Iran's Shiite religious leader Khomeini also deposed Iran's King Pahlavi and established an Islamic Republic with Shiite clerics as the core and the integration of politics and religion.
These two politicians both have the power to keep their word, and both have deep contradictions. Moreover, the contradiction between Saddam and Khomeini has never happened at this time. As a Shiite religious leader in Iran, Khomeini was forced to leave Iran to preach in various places because of persecution by King Pahlavi of Iran, and Khomeini's long-awaited place was Nazaf in Iraq.
However, during the civil strife in Iran from 65438 to 0978, Iraq clearly expressed its support for King Pahlavi of Iran, not Khomeini in exile in Iraq. In order to show support for Pahlavi, Iraq even expelled Khomeini from the country, and Khomeini was forced into exile in France.
Khomeini
This attitude of Iraq naturally made Khomeini extremely dissatisfied, and he vowed to take revenge. So, after Saddam came to power, Khomeini called Saddam? Demon? Call on Iraqi residents to rise up and overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime. This move by Khomeini naturally angered young and ambitious Saddam Hussein.
Fourth, it is related to Saddam's personal character. Saddam Hussein was only 42 years old when he took office as president. As a politician, Saddam Hussein is obviously very young. Therefore, Saddam Hussein is not only young but also ambitious. After consolidating his rule over Iraq, Saddam's next plan is to become the hegemon of the Gulf region and even the whole Arab world.
Moreover, Iraq at this time is not without confidence. As we all know, the Middle East is a desert zone with hot environment and little rain. Although many Arab countries are rich in oil and famous for their local tyrants, they are extremely short of water resources.
Iraq's fertile two-river basin
However, Iraq does not have such concerns. Iraq is blessed in the Middle East: Iraq not only has extremely rich oil reserves, but also has extremely rich fresh water resources and huge cultivated land area because of the two major river basins composed of the Euphrates River and the Tigris River. This unique advantage makes Iraq the richest and most prosperous country in the Middle East.
1979 at the beginning of the Iraq war, Iraq's oil revenue alone exceeded $35 billion. At this time, China's foreign exchange reserves were only US$ 840 million, showing that Iraq was rich. Therefore, Saddam Hussein, who has always been ambitious, relied on Iraq's economic advantages and began to form a huge army.
At the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi army exceeded 220,000, which was not only complete in land, sea and air, but also bought a large number of advanced weapons from world powers. In Saddam's view, well-equipped and well-trained Iraqi troops can quickly defeat those who have just experienced a coup. Fragile? A rabble? Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. But it turns out that Saddam Hussein was obviously too optimistic and underestimated Khomeini's Iran.
Saddam Hussein
Fifth, it is related to the international situation. After Khomeini came to power, he was famous for his fierce anti-American attitude. Therefore, Iran quickly became the object of blockade and containment by western countries. At the same time, after Khomeini took office, his foreign policy of actively supporting Shiites everywhere and exporting Islamic revolution to the outside world also aroused great dissatisfaction among Arab countries in the Gulf, especially Sunni countries.
Khomeini's series of policies led to Iran's unprecedented isolation in the international community. Therefore, both western countries and Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries are very supportive of Saddam's constant provocation of the Iran-Iraq conflict. Saddam Hussein is naturally well aware of this situation in Iran and has been making full use of the favorable international situation.
Therefore, after analyzing the situation, optimistic Saddam believes that Iraq has the strength to defeat Iran quickly and quickly with the help of Iraq's elite troops and the extensive support of the international community, thus bringing Khomeini down and laying the foundation for Iraq to dominate the Middle East.
the Iran-Iraq war
In this situation and mentality, the border conflict between Iran and Iraq eventually turned into a full-scale war between the two countries. 1980, 17 In September, as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced the abrogation of the Algiers Agreement on the demarcation of the border between the two countries and the recovery of Arab and all sovereignty, at the same time, he ordered a deterrent attack on Iranian military targets and sent troops into Iranian territory, and the war between the two countries that lasted for eight years broke out in an all-round way.