THE FORGOTTEN IRAN-IRAQ WAR 1980-88
Global Affairs Session 12 10 April 2026 THE FORGOTTEN IRAN-IRAQ WAR 1980-88 The war that forged modern Iran The 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War grew from fear of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, leadership rivalry, the Shatt al-Arab territorial dispute and Iraq's belief that post-revolution Iran was vulnerable. It evolved from invasion and counter-offensives into trench warfare, human-wave attacks, chemical warfare and the Tanker War, ending without a clear winner but leaving a lasting imprint on Iran's institutions, strategic outlook and distrust of the West.