The Iran-Iraq war which lasted for eight years from 1980 to 1988 was among the longest wars in the 20th century with huge losses of life and property on both sides. During eight years of imposed war, Iran stood up almost single-handedly to an Iraq which enjoyed the support of a large number of Arab, Western, Eastern, and even South American countries. During all those years, it insisted on two goals: condemnation of Iraq�s aggression against Iran and suitable punishment of the aggressor by international authorities. Iran, however, was denied both its requests.

On the opposite, after Saddam�s forces invaded Kuwait, the international community moved to impose crippling sanctions against Iraq which finally led to the downfall of the Baathist Iraqi regime followed by the execution of Saddam Hussein and other criminal officials of his government. As for Kuwait, the subsequent government of Iraq was forced to pay remuneration to Kuwait. None of these happened in the case of Iran. Although damages inflicted on Iran have been estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars, no mechanisms have been considered for the determination and payment of damages by the new Iraqi government.

The question here is would the war between Iran and Iraq have lasted for eight long years if the international community, in general, and big powers, in particular had adopted the same positions on the invasion of the Iraqi forces against Iran as they took with regard to the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq? And the second question that follows: Shouldn�t Iran be considered rightful not to trust many of these countries anymore?

Iran-Iraq War Revisited By: Esmaeil Bashari

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Khorramshahr Bombardment Photographer: Mohsen Shandiz[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Hoveyzeh, Badr Operations Photographer: Saeid Sadeghi[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Abadan Bombardment Photographer: Kaveh Golestan[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Majnoon Island, Badr Operations Photographer: Mohammad Hossein Heydari[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Woman Mourning for Martyrs Photographer: Ali Fereidooni[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Family Martyred in Abadan Bombardment Photographer: Mohammad Sayyad[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Southern Front Photographer: Saeid Sadeghi[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Iran Southern Cities Bombardment Photographer: Kaveh Golestan[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Southern Oil Regions Photographer: Mohammad Sayyad[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Valfajr Operations Photographer: Ali Kaveh[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Southern Oil Regions Photographer: Mahmoud Kalari[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Khorramshahr Railroad Photographer: Mahmoud Kalari[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960"] Talayeh, 26 February 1984[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="761"] Helmets of Iraqi Troops in Khorramshahr[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Khorramshahr Railroad Photographer: Mahmoud Kalari[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="669"] Men of the Imam Hussein Battalion, Before Operations Badr[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Abadan Hospitals Bombardment Photographer: Bahman Jalali[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="773"] Basiji Children[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="650"] Bombardment of Abadan Schools Photographer: Bahman Jalali[/caption]

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[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Khorramshahr Schools Photographer: Ibrahim Shateri[/caption]

 



 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Khorramshahr Bombardment Photographer: Ibrahim Shateri[/caption]

 



 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="628"] Bombardment of Mosque in Shush City Photographer: Gholamreza Dadbin[/caption]

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[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bombardment of Friday Prayer in Hamedan Photographer: Gholamreza Dadbin[/caption]

 



 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Father Mourning Son's Death in Kermanshah Photographer: Ibrahim Shateri[/caption]

 



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Aerial Bombardment of Western Iran Photography: Ibrahim Shateri[/caption]

 



 

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Ahvaz After Aerial Bombardment Photographer: Gholamreza Dadbin[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960"] Iraq, East Basra, 1987, During Operation Karbala 8[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Ahvaz After Bombardment Photographer: Mohsen Shandiz[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960"] Majnoon Island, 1985, The 8th army of Najaf Ashraf Heading for Operation Badr[/caption]

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[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] Aerial Bombardment of Shush Photographer: Gholamreza Dadbin[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="700"] War Refugees in Western Iran Photographer: Ali Hashemi[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Arvandkenar, 9 February 1986[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] War Refugees in Bostan Photographer: Mohammad Farnood[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Operations of Karbala 5, 15 January 1987[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Southern Iran Bombardment Photographer: Alfred Yaghoobzadeh[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="618"] Providing Drinks for Soldiers during Operations Karbala-1[/caption]

By Iran Review