Critical
Iran-Iraq War
Eight-year interstate war with trench warfare, missile attacks and chemical weapons use.
Historical overview
Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.
The Iran–Iraq War began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran in September 1980. After eight years of conflict, both countries accepted a ceasefire deal brokered by the United Nations, which became effective in August 1988. The war caused around 500,000 deaths, making it the deadliest conventional war ever fought between regular armies of developing countries.
Theater countries
Actors
Tags
Border context
1980-1989historical border era
Late Cold War conflict belt
Major wars stretch from Afghanistan and the Gulf to southern Africa, Central America and South Asia.
The Iran-Iraq War hardens Gulf security politics. Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan precedes the end of the Cold War.