CIA assesses Iraq’s regional ambitions

Iran held the first round of elections to its post-revolutionary Majlis. The legislature became an arena for disputes over executive authority before and during the war.

Washington broke diplomatic relations during the hostage crisis. For Iran, the rupture preceded the Iraqi invasion and further narrowed channels with a major power as Tehran faced regional threats and...

Operation Eagle Claw was aborted in the Iranian desert after equipment failures and a collision killed eight U.S. personnel. The failed incursion intensified the crisis and reinforced Tehran’s...

A second parliamentary election round filled additional seats in Iran’s first post-revolutionary Majlis. Voting had been postponed in some areas, so the rounds did not resolve every vacancy.

Iran inaugurated its first post-revolutionary Majlis. Bani-Sadr and Khomeini addressed the new institution as Iran faced domestic divisions and growing tensions with Iraq.

The Revolutionary Council adopted the legal bill establishing the National Basij organization. This institutional framework preceded the mass volunteer role that developed during the war.

The Majlis approved Mohammad Ali Rajai as prime minister after a dispute over the choice of government. Iran entered the war with executive authority divided between Rajai and President Bani-Sadr.

Iran’s Majlis gave Rajai’s government a confidence vote and approved fourteen nominated ministers. The cabinet was taking shape shortly before Iraq’s full-scale invasion.

Iraq publicly repudiated the treaty and asserted sovereignty over the Shatt al-Arab. The declaration preceded the invasion by five days; Iran viewed it as evidence that the attack was prepared...

The Iranian Air Force struck Iraqi air bases and military infrastructure the day after Iraq’s opening attacks. The operation demonstrated that the revolution had not eliminated Iran’s capacity to...