1980 – 1988
Iraq invaded Iran in September 1980 amid border disputes, Saddam Hussein’s regional ambitions, and fear of revolutionary Iran. Iran recovered most occupied territory by 1982 and then carried the war into Iraq; both governments sustained a prolonged war of attrition. Iraq repeatedly used chemical weapons, including against Kurdish civilians. A 1988 United Nations ceasefire stopped the fighting, while final border restoration came only in 1990; total deaths remain disputed in the hundreds of thousands.
Chapter-by-chapter narrative with maps, primary sources, and key events.
Explore battles on a live map with a timeline slider and territory overlays.
Deep-dive into every major engagement — commanders, casualties, significance.
Biographical flip cards with real portraits, facts, and full biography pages.
Trace each figure's full life journey — birth, education, battles, and death — on a live map.
Scroll-driven visualization of casualties — each dot a thousand lives.
Weapons, war machines, and the military innovations that defined how this conflict was fought.
Cause-and-effect chains tracing the war's long shadow on history.
War crimes, massacres, and the darkest chapters of this conflict — documented for history.
Iraq invaded Iran in September 1980 amid border disputes, Saddam Hussein’s regional ambitions, and fear of revolutionary Iran. Iran recovered most occupied territory by 1982 and then carried the war into Iraq; both governments sustained a prolonged war of attrition. Iraq repeatedly used chemical weapons, including against Kurdish civilians. A 1988 United Nations ceasefire stopped the fighting, while final border restoration came only in 1990; total deaths remain disputed in the hundreds of thousands.
Iran-Iraq War was fought from 1980 to 1988.
Iran-Iraq War was fought between Iraq and Iran.
An estimated 600,000 people died in Iran-Iraq War, including roughly 500,000 military and 100,000 civilian deaths. Figures are scholarly estimates and vary by source.
Major engagements included Operation Ramadan, Operation Kheibar, Operation Tawakalna ala Allah, and Battle of Faw Peninsula.