Operation Fath ol-Mobin ends with major Iranian gains

Iranian forces launched a limited offensive near Qasr-e Shirin and recaptured some territory. The operation formed part of a series of late-1981 counterattacks that gradually reversed Iraq’s early...

A State Department cable circulated press guidance on removing Iraq from the terrorism list. The change eased constraints on relations with Iran’s wartime adversary.

Iran opened a major offensive in the Shush–Dezful area. Regular army units and Revolutionary Guards combined conventional maneuver with mass volunteer assaults. The operation inflicted a major...

Saddam Hussein’s ceasefire proposal was reported while Iran was advancing. It was an offer from Baghdad, not evidence that Iran had agreed to stop its offensive.

UPI cited Western diplomats describing continued Israeli arms shipments to Tehran after the 1981 cargo-plane crash. The report illustrated Iran’s search for supplies across hostile political...

Yasser Arafat urged Iran and Iraq to end their war and unite against Israel. The appeal illustrates a regional mediation agenda alongside Iran’s demands concerning occupation.

Syria closed its border with Iraq, restricting an important supply route for Baghdad. The move strengthened the practical consequences of Syria’s wartime alignment with Iran.

Syria closed the pipeline carrying Iraqi oil to Mediterranean outlets. Baghdad lost an export route while Iran gained strategic support from an Arab ally.

Iran began the main offensive toward Khorramshahr. Its success depended on coordinated movements by regular army units, Guards, and volunteers through difficult terrain and Iraqi defensive lines....

Iran announced that Mohamed Seddik Benyahia had died while flying to Tehran and accused Iraq of downing the plane. His visit had been connected with mediation efforts.