2. Iran-Iraq War (1980–88)
•Prolonged military conflict
•Open warfare began on September 22, 1980
•September 4, 1980
•Fighting was ended by a 1988 cease-fire
•Signing of a formal peace agreement on August
16, 1990

3. Background
•In the late 1960s the United
Kingdom announced its
intention to withdraw from
the Persian Gulf, setting in
motion a geopolitical
reconfiguration of the
region. Long-standing
territorial disagreements
between Iran and Iraq were
reignited and remained a
source of tension
throughout the 1970s.

4. Background
•With Iraq’s new Baʿath
regime facing instability at
home, its de facto ruler,
Saddam Hussein,
conceded some of the
country’s claims in 1975
in exchange for the
cessation of Iranian
meddling in Iraq.

5. Background
•The primary concession was
the eastern bank of the
Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab, a river
formed by the confluence of
the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers that had high strategic
value as a principal
waterway for the countries’
maritime commerce.

6. Background
• The Iranian Revolution of 1978–79
brought the 1975 agreements into
questionable standing. Border
clashes began occurring from time
to time while signs of Iranian
interference in Iraq were
pronounced.
• Leaders of Iran’s Islamic republic
indicated their desire to “export”
the revolution’s concept of Islamic
governance guided by Shiʿi clergy.

7. Background
•Ruhollah Khomeini, the
ideological architect of the
revolution, had already found
an audience for his ideas in
Iraq when he was living there
during his exile.
•In April 1980 the deputy
prime minister of Iraq, Tariq
Aziz, survived an
assassination attempt by
Iraqi Shiʿis sympathetic to the
Iranian Revolution.

8. Background
•The Iran’s new government, then at
loggerheads with the United States over the
seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehrān by
Iranian militants was in apparent isolation
and disorder, and its regular armed forces
were gutted and demoralized.

10. Conflict
•1980–81: Iraqi offensive
and Iranian pushback
•1982–87: Iranian
offensive, stalemate, and
the Tanker War
•1988: Escalation and
cease-fire

11. Conflict
•1980–81: Iraqi offensive
and Iranian pushback
•1982–87: Iranian
offensive, stalemate, and
the Tanker War
•1988: Escalation and
cease-fire

12. Conflict
•1980–81: Iraqi offensive
and Iranian pushback
•1982–87: Iranian
offensive, stalemate, and
the Tanker War
•1988: Escalation and
cease-fire

13. Casualties
• The war had been one of the most
destructive conflicts of the late 20th century.
The total number of combatants on both
sides is unclear, but both countries were fully
mobilized, and most men of military age were
under arms. The number of casualties was
enormous but equally uncertain. Estimates of
total casualties range from 1,000,000 to twice
that number. The number killed on both sides
was perhaps 500,000, with Iran suffering the
greatest losses. It is estimated that between
50,000 and 100,000 Kurds were killed by Iraqi
forces during the series of campaigns code-
named Anfāl (Arabic: “Spoils”) that took
place in 1988.

14. Casualties
In August 1990, while Iraq was
preoccupied with its invasion of
Kuwait. Iraq and Iran restored
diplomatic relations, and Iraq agreed
to Iranian terms for the settlement of
the war: the withdrawal of Iraqi troops
from occupied Iranian territory,
division of sovereignty over the Shaṭṭ
Al-ʿArab waterway, and a prisoner-of-
war exchange. The final exchange of
prisoners was not completed until
March 2003.

15. Affect in the World
• Disruptions to global oil supplies: Both Iran and Iraq were major oil
producers, and the war caused disruptions to the global oil market.
This led to higher oil prices and economic instability in many
countries.
• Spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs): Both sides used
chemical weapons during the conflict, which raised concerns about
the spread of WMDs and led to increased international efforts to
control their proliferation.
• Increased tensions in the Middle East: The war exacerbated existing
tensions between Iran and Iraq, as well as between other countries in
the region. This contributed to ongoing geopolitical instability in the
Middle East.

16. Affect in the Philippines
• Economic impacts: The Philippines, as an oil-importing country, was
affected by the disruptions to the global oil market caused by the war.
This led to higher oil prices and inflation in the country.
• Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs): Many Filipinos worked in the
Middle East during the conflict, and some were affected by the war.
For example, some were injured or killed in bombings or other
attacks.
• During the Iran-Iraq War, the Philippines maintained diplomatic
relations with both Iran and Iraq. The Philippine government tried to
remain neutral in the conflict and continued to engage in trade and
diplomacy with both nations.

17. Affect in the Philippines (cont.)
• The war did have some impacts on the Philippines' relations with
these countries. For example, during the war, the Philippine
government had to evacuate its nationals who were working in Iraq
and Iran due to the danger posed by the conflict.
• The Philippines' relations with Iran were strained in the aftermath of
the war when it was revealed that a Filipino company had sold
weapons to Iran in violation of a U.S. arms embargo. This led to
diplomatic tensions between the Philippines and the U.S.
• The Philippines tried to remain neutral during the Iran-Iraq War, the
conflict did have some impacts on its diplomatic relations with these
countries.

18. The United States of America controversial
role in the Iran-Iraq War
• Providing support to Iraq: The U.S. provided significant
military and economic support to Iraq during the war,
with the goal of preventing Iran from gaining too
much regional power. This support included weapons
sales, intelligence sharing, and other forms of
assistance. However, this support also contributed to
the human rights abuses committed by the Iraqi
regime, such as the use of chemical weapons.

19. The United States of America controversial
role in the Iran-Iraq War.
• Confrontation with Iran: The U.S. and Iran were
already at odds before the war, and the conflict
exacerbated tensions between the two countries. The
U.S. supported Iran's enemy, Iraq, and accused Iran of
supporting terrorism and working to destabilize the
region. This contributed to the ongoing hostility
between the U.S. and Iran that continues to this day.

20. The United States of America controversial
role in the Iran-Iraq War.
•Shipping protection: The U.S. also provided
protection to oil tankers navigating the Persian
Gulf, which were at risk of being attacked by
both sides during the conflict. This was a
response to the threat to global oil supplies
posed by the war.

21. The United States of America controversial
role in the Iran-Iraq War.
Overall, the U.S.'s involvement in the Iran-Iraq War was
controversial and had long-lasting impacts on global
politics and the Middle East. The U.S.'s support for Iraq
during the war, as well as its involvement in the region
more broadly, contributed to anti-American sentiment
in Iran and other countries. Additionally, the U.S.'s
involvement in the war, as well as other actions in the
region, have been seen as contributing to ongoing
instability and conflict in the Middle East.