The Iran-Iraq war officially started on September 22, 1980, when the Iraq army invaded Iran due to prior issues regarding territory conflicts and political issues.
Previously, conflict arose over the ownership of a water source (Shatt al Arab river) that fell on the Iran-Iraq border (Hardy, 1). In 1975, though, Iran gained greater control of the Shatt al Arab after signing a treaty of ownership—Algier’s Treaty. This treaty fueled the fire for the war to come.
In 1979, Iran underwent an Islamic revolution that reinstated traditional values into the way and life of Iranians. This ultimately led their leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, to wanting to expand their influence and revolutionize the surrounding countries and other Western figures (Karsh, Efraim). Iraq, one of Iran’s main contenders for this revolution, was threatened by this and decided to attack Iran in order to show their opposition to Khomeini’s efforts (Hardy, 1).
Furthermore, Iraq’s efforts to invade Iran were relatively unsuccessful; by 1982, Iran basically eradicated Iraq’s efforts to regain access to the Shatt al Arab river/neighboring territories. Despite this success, Iran had the upper hand and decided that they would continue to fight back with Iraq as Khomeini wanted to overthrow Iran’s leader, Saddam Hussein (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia).
After 1982 specifically, the Iran-Iraq war was characterized by mass destruction weapons that made for many casualties as over 400,000 people were killed. With this, many third parties decided to intervene and ultimately fought with Iraq against Iran, as they were also against the radical revolutionary efforts Iran was making. Specifically, powerful western figures such as the United States involved themselves with Iraq in 1987 following unwarranted attacks on neutral oil tankers in the Persian Gulf (Karsh, Efraim). This force destabilized Iran and eventually led to a ceasefire administered by the United Nations in 1988.
(The use of mass destruction weapons by Iraq outside of the Iran border in 1980; Citation:
“Iran-Iraq War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Iraq-War#/media/1/293527/235954. Accessed 15 Oct. 2021.)
The Iran-Iraq war brought about many negative effects and neither Khomeini nor Hussein achieved their ultimate goals. The war not only brought about mass destruction and casualties, but extreme economic distress, as the cost of the war was not compensated to either side.
References:
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopedia. “Iran-Iraq War”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Sep. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Iraq-War. Accessed 14 October 2021.
Hardy, Roger. “World | Middle East | the Iran-Iraq War: 25 Years On.” BBC News, BBC, 22 Sept. 2005, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4260420.stm.
Karsh, Efraim “Iran–Iraq War (1980– .” Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. . Encyclopedia.com. 22 Sep. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
I really enjoyed reading your blog post concerning the Iran-Iraq War. I was in charge of making the blog post on the reading about Persepolis, so it is interesting to read about more events that are connected to this novel and film. After reading more information about this war, specifically the dates about when this all occurred, it will make it more interesting to watch the film and connect these events back to the time span of when they occurred. Great post!
Your blog post is interesting and informational. I never understood the background of what caused the Iran-Iraq War. The causalities and the negative impact it had on people is disheartening. Hopefully we can get to a point where war is not an option and negotiations (verbally) between one another will prosper. Great read!
This was very informative. I have always been lacking in my understanding of the war and this helped greatly.
I found it interesting how a simple body of water, the Shatt al Arab river, caused Iraq-Iran war and all to suffering that came with it. It does make sense, water is the essence of life and is a valuable resource, but I wonder if there still would have been conflict if there was no Shatt al Arab river? How many peoples lives would be saved or drastically changed if there was enough water for both countries?
Thank you for the context of the war. This definitely helps add another layer to what was going on in Persepolis. It’s horrible that there were so many casualties in the war.
Great job with your post! You provided helpful information that will help everyone with this week’s material.
Your blog post is very informative on giving background information pertaining to the war! it makes it easier for me to connect the war to how Marjane fits into the society she lives in. It also makes it easier to understand what the violence and protests are a result of.
Hey! Thank you for your post! I find the war very interesting! I find it very saddening that so many people have died from this war. Innocent and young children had to endure the community that they were growing up in due to this war growing more and more serious. Though, I am very thankful that there was a cease fire administered by the united Nations.
Nice context choice. There was a lot going on during the time frame of the Persepolis book and it is great to be able to gain just that much more knowledge to understand all the turmoil going on in Iran.
Thank you for your post, you just provide the information about the background of the movie. The reason of the war, what happened, and what is the consequences. Helped me to connect the movie with the reality. Also, the information about Islamic revolution it’s really interesting for me. It reinstated traditional values into the way and life of Iranians, it is expressed in the book and movie. And I would like to know evern more about it.
This was a very informative post! Both of my parents grew up in Iran and they have memories of hearing Iraqi bombs and airstrikes being dropped around them. They would have to stay in the basement for days to minimize the risk of being hurt if a bomb was dropped near them. Moreover, I did not know the reasons for Iraq’s invasion until after reading your post which makes sense. I find it paradoxical that the United States assisted Saddam Hussein in this war, but ended up capturing him later in his life.
Hi Razayeski!
I really enjoyed reading your post on Iran-Iraq War. While reading your post I learned a lot how the Islamic Revolution was a key factor in changing the views of Iran to expand their borders. I also learned that nearly 400,000 people were killed in this incident which is heartbreaking. Overall, I am glad to have learned about the Iran and Iraq conflicts.
Hi Razayeski! Thanks so much for the post! Before reading this context presentation of yours, I have no idea what’s the reason behind the war and what are the details about the war when watching or reading Persepolis. I think after reading your post I will look into more on how western figures and United Nations affected the Middle East countries.
Hi! thank you for such a well researched and informative post. I feel that this is so important to be aware of when reading Persepolis, because although the story describes the conflict, it is ultimately about Marji’s life. This means some of this information can be lost, even though it is vital. After reading, I feel inclined to do more research on the Iran-Iraq War and the islamic revolution. This post has been very helpful, again, thank you!
True indeed! this is a fascinating and essential point you mentioned: Satrapi’s writing is only about her and should not be generalized. Not all Iranian women experienced like her life. Also, this is a novel, not a documentary; some fictional elements are combined as literary techniques.
Thank you so much for this post. It provided me and everyone clarity and insight into the war and how it could’ve affected Marjane. This was incredibly well thought of and researched. Information like this is essential in understanding other people’s worlds.
I find your post very informative, relevant and have a connection with what we are reading in Persepolis. Thank you for the post. It help me understand more about the film and especially what triggered the was initially and how it relates to Marji’s story that she portrays in the book.
This is a wonderful and informative post. It tells lots of information that I didn’t notice before. This truly helps me understand that period of history and I hope you can also add more your own perspectives on it. In the Iran Iraq war, if Iraq is defeated by Iran, Iran will become the overlord of the Middle East. The structure of your post is also very clear. With the embellishment of pictures, people are more willing to read the article.
This is a really great post. It showed me the background of the reading of Persepolis, which has a strong connection with Maji’s story. After reading your post, I also figure out why they start this war and what happened to people and society during the period of time in the story. It is a clear and organized introduction to Iran-Iraq War.
I thought your post was very informative and well presented. I feel that everybody knows that Iraq and other parts of the Middle East are infested with war and terrorism, but no one actually knows the reasoning. Your post gave me a better understanding for the territorial issues that sparked the war, as well as the events that happened prior to, during, and after the war.
Because the United States has been fighting in Iran and Iraq for so long, I’ve always had knowledge of the wars but I never truly understood why the United States was involved there. Your post informed me of the origins of the war and I think its really interesting. As an outside country, the issues clearly must have been very pressing if our government felt it necessary to intervene. Thanks for this post!
Hi! Your blog post is very educational. I never knew much about the Iraq and Iran War and after reading your blog post I am much more educated on it now. I cannot believe over 400 people were killed. The timeline of events that occurred is also very crazy.
Great and informational post on the background history during the setting of Persepolis film. It is now more clear to me on the beginning of Iran-Iraq war and on how such war that started with fight for Shat al Arab river would be of importance in understanding the indifferences that happens in the film during this revolutionary era.
Great context present! Your post involved new information of the involvement of the US in that war. Very educational for me, a lot happened art that time. Great information added and fantastic job!
Hi, I found your post to be informative. I did not know much about the Iran-Iraq War before your post. After reading you post, I realized that it started in 1980 and it was Iraq invaded Iran due to political and government issues. I found the pictures you used to be also interesting.
Hello, I found your blog very educational! I had little to no understanding in what the iraq and Iran war was about. It is truly astonishing that over 400,000 people had been killed throughout the battle. it is truly crazy to think about the damages that wars can bring to people
Before reading this post I only knew such little information on this subject and the on going war in the Middle East. I found it very interesting to learn about the history as to how some war conflicts started in the first place because you only hear about the after math and never what started it in the first place.
This was a fun piece of information to read! I have always been interested in why certain wars are started and the military aspect behind them. I think you did a great job of providing useful information and background about how and why the war began. I’m very intrigued by the traditional values of Iran and thought it was crazy that they are willing to kill whoever is opposed to their values.
A well-written and informational post that provides great context for the Iraq-Iraq war. I didn’t realize how large the number of casualties was. I mean 400,000 people is such a huge number and it is truly tragic. I was also unaware that Algier’s treaty was what triggered the war in a way. Once again, great post!
This post was definitely helpful in increasing my understanding of the war. There were a lot of details that I was unaware of that were catalysts in the Iran-Iraq War. It is interesting to see the futility of war, seeing that nothing that either side set out to accomplish was actually done.
Learning about the Iran-Iraq war was an enjoyable and exciting read. I am not super knowledgeable regarding middle east confrontation, so I learned a couple of new things. The number of deaths is unfortunate, and, shockingly, I have not heard about this before.
Thank you for such an informative presentation. There was not much that I knew about the Iraq-Iran war, so the details that you provided have helped clarify many of my inquiries. It is so unfortunate that these events took place. So many lives were lost over such trivial issues. It is so unfair that these insignificant problems became such huge ones, especially for common citizens, when environments gradually become unsafe for habitation. Thankfully, others saw the need to intervene to halt the abuse of power.
Your post is very good!
What you told me about the war was completely unknown to me before now.
Thank you for adding new knowledge to me
When I first read the novel, I felt a little lost contextually in regards to the war. Your post did a great job providing inciteful context to the reading and I wished I had seen it before I read the novel.
This information regarding the war is essential for understanding Persepolis. Thank you for the context. I feel like it is very difficult to understand the perspectives of these kinds of foreign authors because we’re usually not aware of the past that they experienced. It’s depressing to see what can result from war and violence.
I agree completely. It is very difficult to to understand the viewpoints of foreign authors, especially when they are writing about their own past. We generally learn all of history from the perspective of America and often miss things that might be more important in other areas. Most basic history classes focus on events that shaped America and as a result, I would claim that most people do not have a lot of knowledge about things like the Iraq-Iran war. Understanding this and other perspectives is key to understanding the readings best.
This post helped me understand the film a lot better. You provide great detail of what is happening in Iran at the time . Thank you for the post, it was very informative.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. Detail about Persepolis and Iran war are always great. Thanks you for deeper explanation.
The presentation is quite good and the summary of the war and revolution. Thank you for letting me know these and some of the war is life-changing for Iran which is critical to understand more about how Iran was and at the present to fully understand the Persepolis. I think I have more understanding of Marjane after reading your informative presentation.
I am glad that I was able to learn about this conflict from your presentation because I simply had never been taught about it. I think that it is important to understand the conflicts of countries so that you can understand its current climate. Your presentation has inspired me to do more research into this conflict so that I can hopefully learn more about the people that had to live through it. I think this information needs to be heard more so that people can understand what these country’s populations had to live through, it could vastly improve international relations.