Iran-Iraq War: The Modern Day Holy War

This Warographics podcast episode delves into the Iran-Iraq War, starting with a historical overview of Iran's alliance with the West and the subsequent revolution that led to an anti-Western Islamist theocracy under Ayatollah Khomeini. The episode details the tensions between Iran and Iraq, leading to Saddam Hussein's invasion in 1980, highlighting the initial Iraqi advances and Iran's fierce defense, including the battle for Karamshirah. It further covers Iran's counter-offensives, the shift to trench warfare reminiscent of World War I, the use of human wave tactics, and the involvement of international actors, including the US, France, and the Soviet Union, in supporting Iraq. The podcast also discusses the "Tanker War," Iraq's aerial bombardments of Iranian cities, and the eventual acceptance of a ceasefire in 1988, emphasizing the devastating human cost and the long-term consequences that led to future conflicts in the region.