Iran-Iraq War

In 1979, the Iranian Revolution began this causd disorder in the country. Saddam Hussein saw this as an opportunity to conquer Iran and its oil-rich territories. So in 1980, Saddam launched a massive attack across the border. Though there was initial success for the Iraq, the Iranians united behind there revolutionary government and pushed backed the invaders. A deadly war of attrition set in, reflecting in some ways the trench warefare of World War I. Saddam used chemical warfare and bombing of the Iranian cities to try to break the stalemate. The Iranians sought to take over Iraq and establish a radical Muslim state. Eventually, economic hardship, exhaustion, and diplomatic pressure from the United States brought the conflict to a halt. From the beginning Saddam thought the war would be over in three weeks, but instead it lasted for eight years. Over three thousand people died in the Iran-Iraq War. The Iranian military had much American built equipment, such as F-14 fighters. However, America prevented them from using this by cutting off spare parts or sending sabotaged ones instead.