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id="toc-Reaction_in_the_Western_and_Arab_worlds" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Reaction_in_the_Western_and_Arab_worlds"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Reaction in the Western and Arab worlds</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Reaction_in_the_Western_and_Arab_worlds-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Israel's_Operation_Opera_(1981)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Israel's_Operation_Opera_(1981)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>Israel's Operation Opera (1981)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Israel's_Operation_Opera_(1981)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span 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<label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Scorch Sword</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in 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class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Scorch_Sword" title="Operation Scorch Sword – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Operation Scorch Sword" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%86" title="عملیات شمشیر سوزان – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="عملیات شمشیر سوزان" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A6%D7%A2_%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%91_%D7%A6%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%94" title="מבצע חרב צרובה – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" 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href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Operation_Scorch_Sword&params=33.206_N_44.519_E_type:event_region:IQ"><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">33°12′22″N</span> <span class="longitude">44°31′08″E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">33.206°N 44.519°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">33.206; 44.519</span></span></span></a></span></span></div></div> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">1980 Iranian surprise airstrike in Iraq</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vevent" style="width:25.5em;border-spacing:2px;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above summary" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;">Operation Scorch Sword</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader" style="background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;">Part of the <a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image" style="text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa;line-height:1.5em;"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg/220px-Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="199" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg/330px-Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg/440px-Attach_to_Qsirak.jpg 2x" data-file-width="605" data-file-height="547" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Unofficial map displaying the general course of the Iranian <a href="/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II" title="McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II">F-4 Phantom IIs</a></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Operational scope</th><td class="infobox-data">Strategic</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Location</th><td class="infobox-data"><div style="display:inline;" class="location"><a href="/wiki/Tuwaitha_Nuclear_Research_Center" title="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center">Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre</a>, <a href="/wiki/Diyala_Governorate" title="Diyala Governorate">Diyala Governorate</a>, Iraq</div><br /><span class="geo-inline"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1156832818">.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}</style><span class="plainlinks nourlexpansion"><a class="external text" href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Operation_Scorch_Sword&params=33.206_N_44.519_E_type:event_region:IQ"><span class="geo-nondefault"><span class="geo-dms" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location"><span class="latitude">33°12′22″N</span> <span class="longitude">44°31′08″E</span></span></span><span class="geo-multi-punct"> / </span><span class="geo-default"><span class="geo-dec" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for this location">33.206°N 44.519°E</span><span style="display:none"> / <span class="geo">33.206; 44.519</span></span></span></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Planned by</th><td class="infobox-data">Maj. Gen. <a href="/wiki/Javad_Fakoori" title="Javad Fakoori">Javad Fakoori</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Objective</th><td class="infobox-data">Destruction of Iraq's <i>Osirak</i> nuclear reactor</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Date</th><td class="infobox-data">30 September 1980</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Executed by</th><td class="infobox-data"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg/21px-Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg/32px-Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg/41px-Flag_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1423" data-file-height="1041" /></span></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force" title="Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force">Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="padding-right: 1em;">Outcome</th><td class="infobox-data">Tactical victory <ul><li>Cessation of the <a href="/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction" title="Iraq and weapons of mass destruction">Iraqi nuclear program</a> for around three months</li> <li>No long term damage to the nuclear reactor</li> <li>Reactor suffers heavy damage in <a href="/wiki/Operation_Opera" title="Operation Opera">Operation Opera</a>, done by Israel in secret assistance to Iran</li></ul> </td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;font-size:110%;"></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238443738">.mw-parser-output .locmap .od{position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .id{position:absolute;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .locmap .l0{font-size:0;position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv{line-height:110%;position:absolute;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv>div{display:inline;padding:1px}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:left}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:#fff!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .locmap{filter:grayscale(0.6)}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pv>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pl>div,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .od .pr>div{background:white!important;color:#000!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data .locmap div{background:transparent!important}}</style><div class="center"><div class="locmap" style="width:220px;float:none;clear:both;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><div style="width:220px;padding:0"><div style="position:relative;width:220px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Iraq_adm_location_map.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre is located in Iraq"><img alt="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre is located in Iraq" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Iraq_adm_location_map.svg/220px-Iraq_adm_location_map.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="224" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Iraq_adm_location_map.svg/330px-Iraq_adm_location_map.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Iraq_adm_location_map.svg/440px-Iraq_adm_location_map.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1240" data-file-height="1263" /></a></span><div class="od notheme" style="top:48.323%;left:58.276%;font-size:91%"><div class="id" style="left:-4px;top:-4px"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre"><img alt="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png" decoding="async" width="8" height="8" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/12px-Red_pog.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/16px-Red_pog.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="64" data-file-height="64" /></span></span></div><div class="pr" style="width:6em;left:5px"><div>Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre</div></div></div></div><div style="padding-top:0.2em">Location of the <i>Osirak</i> nuclear reactor within <a href="/wiki/Ba%27athist_Iraq" title="Ba'athist Iraq">Iraq</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output 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.navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Iran–Iraq_War" style="margin:0;float:right;clear:right;width:25.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;margin-left:1em;;padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks navbox-vertical mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background-color:#C3D6EF;color:inherit;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a 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4em"><span style="line-height:1.6em"><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a></span></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><b>Pre-war incidents</b><br /> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1975_Algiers_Agreement" title="1975 Algiers Agreement">1975 Algiers Agreement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iranian_Revolution" class="mw-redirect" title="Iranian Revolution">Iranian Revolution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1979_Kurdish_rebellion_in_Iran" title="1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran">1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1979_Khuzestan_insurgency" title="1979 Khuzestan insurgency">1979 Khuzestan insurgency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iranian_Embassy_siege" title="Iranian Embassy siege">Iranian Embassy siege</a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Iran" title="Iraqi invasion of Iran">Iraqi invasion of Iran</a> (1980)</b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/22_September_1980_Iraqi_airstrike_on_Iran" title="22 September 1980 Iraqi airstrike on Iran">Iraqi airstrike</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Revenge" title="Operation Revenge"><i>Revenge</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Kaman_99" title="Operation Kaman 99"><i>Kaman 99</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Khorramshahr_(1980)" title="Battle of Khorramshahr (1980)">1st Khorramshahr</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><i>Scorch Sword</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dezful" title="Operation Dezful"><i>Dezful</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Sultan_10" title="Operation Sultan 10"><i>Sultan 10</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Abadan" title="Siege of Abadan">Abadan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Morvarid" title="Operation Morvarid"><i>Morvarid</i></a></li></ul> <p><b>Stalemate (1981)</b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Nasr" title="Operation Nasr"><i>Nasr</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/H-3_airstrike" title="H-3 airstrike">H-3</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Opera" title="Operation Opera"><i>Opera</i></a></li></ul> <p><b>Iranian offensives to free Iranian territory (1981–82)</b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Samen-ol-A%27emeh" title="Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh"><i>Samen-ol-A'emeh</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Tariq_al-Qods" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Tariq al-Qods"><i>Tariq-ol-Qods</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Fath_ol-Mobin" title="Operation Fath ol-Mobin"><i>Fath-ol-Mobin</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Beit_ol-Moqaddas" title="Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Khorramshahr_(1982)" title="Battle of Khorramshahr (1982)">2nd Khorramshahr</a>)</li></ul> <p><b>Iranian offensives in Iraq (1982–84)</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Ramadan" title="Operation Ramadan"><i>Ramadan</i> (1st Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Muslim_ibn_Aqil" title="Operation Muslim ibn Aqil"><i>Moslem Ibn Aqil</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Muharram" title="Operation Muharram"><i>Muharram ol-Harram</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Before_the_Dawn" title="Operation Before the Dawn"><i>Before the Dawn</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_(1983)" title="Operation Dawn (1983)"><i>Dawn 1</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_2" title="Operation Dawn 2"><i>Dawn 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_3" title="Operation Dawn 3"><i>Dawn 3</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn-4" title="Operation Dawn-4"> <i>Dawn 4</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_5" title="Operation Dawn 5"><i>Dawn 5</i> (2nd Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Kheibar" title="Operation Kheibar"><i>Kheibar</i> (3rd Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1983%E2%80%931986_Kurdish_rebellions_in_Iraq" title="1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions in Iraq">Kurdish rebellion (1983)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_6" title="Operation Dawn 6"><i>Dawn 6</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_7" title="Operation Dawn 7"><i>Dawn 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Marshes" title="Battle of the Marshes">Marshes</a></li></ul> <p><b>Iranian offensives in Iraq (1985–87)</b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Badr_(1985)" title="Operation Badr (1985)"><i>Badr</i> (4th Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Ghader" title="Operation Ghader"><i>Ghader</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_8" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Dawn 8"><i>Dawn 8</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/First_Battle_of_al-Faw" title="First Battle of al-Faw">1st al-Faw</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_9" title="Operation Dawn 9"><i>Dawn 9</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Mehran" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Mehran"><i>Karbala 1</i> (Mehran)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-2" title="Operation Karbala-2"><i>Karbala 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-3" title="Operation Karbala-3"><i>Karbala 3</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Fath_1" title="Operation Fath 1"><i>Fath 1</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-4" title="Operation Karbala-4"><i>Karbala 4</i> (5th Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Basra" title="Siege of Basra"><i>Karbala 5</i> (6th Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-6" title="Operation Karbala-6"><i>Karbala 6</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-7" title="Operation Karbala-7"><i>Karbala 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-8" title="Operation Karbala-8"><i>Karbala 8 (7th Basra)</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-9" title="Operation Karbala-9"><i>Karbala 9</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala_10" title="Operation Karbala 10"><i>Karbala 10</i></a></li> <li><i>Nasr 4</i></li></ul> <p><b>Final stages (1988)</b> <br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Beit_ol-Moqaddas_2" title="Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas 2"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anfal_campaign" title="Anfal campaign">Anfal campaign</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Beit_ol-Moqaddas_3" title="Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas 3"><i> Beit-ol-Moqaddas 3</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_10" title="Operation Dawn 10"><i>Dawn 10</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Halabja_massacre" title="Halabja massacre">Halabja massacre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Beit_ol-Moqaddas_4" title="Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas 4"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas 4</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Zafar_7" title="Operation Zafar 7"><i>Zafar 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tawakalna_ala_Allah_Operations" title="Tawakalna ala Allah Operations"><i>Tawakalna ala Allah</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/Second_Battle_of_al-Faw" title="Second Battle of al-Faw">2nd al-Faw</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Forty_Stars" title="Operation Forty Stars"><i>Forty Stars</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Eternal_Light" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Eternal Light"><i>Eternal Light</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Mersad" title="Operation Mersad"><i>Mersad</i></a></li></ul> <p><b><a href="/wiki/Tanker_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Tanker War">Tanker War</a></b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Action_of_June_5,_1984" title="Action of June 5, 1984"><i>June 5 1984 Skirmish</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Earnest_Will" title="Operation Earnest Will"><i>Earnest Will</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bridgeton_incident" title="Bridgeton incident"><i>Bridgeton</i> incident</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Prime_Chance" title="Operation Prime Chance"><i>Prime Chance</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Eager_Glacier" title="Operation Eager Glacier"><i>Eager Glacier</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Nimble_Archer" title="Operation Nimble Archer"><i>Nimble Archer</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Praying_Mantis" title="Operation Praying Mantis"><i>Praying Mantis</i></a></li></ul> <p><b>International incidents</b><br /> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1981_Iraqi_embassy_bombing_in_Beirut" title="1981 Iraqi embassy bombing in Beirut">1981 Iraqi embassy bombing in Beirut</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/USS_Stark_incident" title="USS Stark incident">USS <i>Stark</i> incident</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655" title="Iran Air Flight 655">Iran Air Flight 655</a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <p><b>Operation Scorch Sword</b> (<a href="/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a>: <span lang="fa" dir="rtl">عَمَلیاتِ شمشیرِ سوزان</span>) was an Iranian airstrike on Iraq's <a href="/wiki/Tuwaitha_Nuclear_Research_Center" title="Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center">Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre</a> in 1980. Conducted eight days after the beginning of the <a href="/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Iran" title="Iraqi invasion of Iran">Iraqi invasion of Iran</a>, it was a surprise attack against the under-construction <i>Osirak</i> <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_reactor" title="Nuclear reactor">nuclear reactor</a>, which was located 17 kilometres (11 miles) to the southeast of <a href="/wiki/Baghdad" title="Baghdad">Baghdad</a> and was widely perceived as a major asset for the then-ongoing <a href="/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction" title="Iraq and weapons of mass destruction">Iraqi nuclear program</a>. At dawn on 30 September, four Iranian <a href="/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II" title="McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II">F-4 Phantom IIs</a> completed an aerial refueling near the <a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_border" title="Iran–Iraq border">Iran–Iraq border</a> before flying into Iraqi airspace, where they deliberately climbed to a high altitude in order to be detected by Iraqi radar systems, albeit on a false course. Moments later, two of them peeled off and dropped to an extremely low altitude to avoid further detection and subsequently changed course for the Iraqi nuclear facility.<sup id="cite_ref-Operation_Scorch_Sword_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Operation_Scorch_Sword-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Executed by the <a href="/wiki/Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force" title="Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force">Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force</a>, this airstrike was the first such attack on a nuclear reactor and the third attack on any nuclear facility in history: Iran sought to thwart Iraq's progress in nuclear research and development due to the <a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a>, fearing the possibility of any potential Iraqi nuclear weapons being used on Iranian soil in the future.<sup id="cite_ref-reiter_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-reiter-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-mcnair41_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mcnair41-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Ultimately, the damage inflicted by Iran during Scorch Sword was not absolute and only halted Iraq's nuclear efforts for around three months. However, a second airstrike conducted by <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a> on 7 June 1981, codenamed <a href="/wiki/Operation_Opera" title="Operation Opera">Operation Opera</a>, completely destroyed the <i>Osirak</i> nuclear reactor in a substantial setback for Iraq.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A decade later, seven months after the <a href="/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Kuwait" title="Iraqi invasion of Kuwait">Iraqi invasion of Kuwait</a>, the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre was struck by the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> as part of the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_War_air_campaign" title="Gulf War air campaign">Gulf War aerial bombardment campaign</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Iraqi_nuclear_program">Iraqi nuclear program</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Iraqi nuclear program"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction" title="Iraq and weapons of mass destruction">Iraq and weapons of mass destruction</a></div> <p>Iraq had established a nuclear program sometime in the 1960s, and in the mid-1970s looked to expand it through the acquisition of a <a href="/wiki/Nuclear_reactor" title="Nuclear reactor">nuclear reactor</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-perl40_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-perl40-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After failing to convince the <a href="/wiki/Government_of_France" title="Government of France">French government</a> to sell them a plutonium-producing reactor and reprocessing plant, and likewise failing to convince the Italian government to sell them a <i>CIRENE</i>-style reactor, the Iraqi government convinced the French government to sell them an Osiris-class <a href="/wiki/Research_reactor" title="Research reactor">research reactor</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-perl4142_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-perl4142-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The purchase also included a smaller accompanying Isis-type reactor, the sale of 72 kilograms of 93% <a href="/wiki/Enriched_uranium" title="Enriched uranium">enriched uranium</a> and the training of personnel.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The total cost has been given as $300 million.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In November 1975 the countries signed a nuclear cooperation agreement and in 1976 the sale of the reactor was finalized.<sup id="cite_ref-perl4142_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-perl4142-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Construction for the 40-<a href="/wiki/Watt#Megawatt" title="Watt">megawatt</a> light-water nuclear reactor began in 1979 at the <a href="/wiki/Baghdad_Nuclear_Research_Facility" class="mw-redirect" title="Baghdad Nuclear Research Facility">Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Facility</a>, near Baghdad.<sup id="cite_ref-shlomo_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-shlomo-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The main reactor was dubbed <i>Osirak</i> (Osiraq) by the French, blending the name of Iraq with that of the reactor class. Iraq named the main reactor <i>Tammuz 1</i> (Arabic: تموز) and the smaller <i>Tammuz 2</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Tammuz_(Babylonian_calendar)" title="Tammuz (Babylonian calendar)">Tammuz</a> was the <a href="/wiki/Babylonian_calendar" title="Babylonian calendar">Babylonian</a> month when the <a href="/wiki/Arab_Socialist_Ba%27ath_Party_%E2%80%93_Iraq_Region" title="Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region">Ba'ath party</a> had come to power in 1968.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In July 1980, Iraq received from France a shipment of approximately 12.5 kilograms of <a href="/wiki/Enriched_uranium#Highly_enriched_uranium_.28HEU.29" title="Enriched uranium">highly enriched uranium</a> (HEU) fuel to be used in the reactor. The shipment was the first of a planned six deliveries totalling 72 kilograms.<sup id="cite_ref-holroyd_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-holroyd-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It was reportedly stipulated in the purchase agreement that no more than two HEU fuel loadings, 25 kilograms, could be in Iraq at any time.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Nuclear_weapons_development">Nuclear weapons development</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Nuclear weapons development"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div><p> Iraq and France claimed that the Iraqi reactor was intended for peaceful scientific research.<sup id="cite_ref-worldbook_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-worldbook-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Agreements between France and Iraq excluded military use.<sup id="cite_ref-un277_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-un277-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In a 2003 speech, <a href="/wiki/Richard_Wilson_(physicist)" title="Richard Wilson (physicist)">Richard Wilson</a>, a professor of physics at <a href="/wiki/Harvard_University" title="Harvard University">Harvard University</a> who visually inspected the partially damaged reactor in December 1982, said that "to collect enough plutonium [for a nuclear weapon] using <i>Osirak</i> would've taken decades, not years".<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2005, Wilson further commented in <i><a href="/wiki/The_Atlantic" title="The Atlantic">The Atlantic</a></i>:</p><blockquote><p> the Osirak reactor that was bombed by Israel in June of 1981 was explicitly designed by the French engineer Yves Girard to be unsuitable for making bombs. That was obvious to me on my 1982 visit.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote><p> Elsewhere Wilson has stated that:</p><blockquote> <p>Many claim that the bombing of the Iraqi Osirak reactor delayed Iraq's nuclear bomb program. But the Iraqi nuclear program before 1981 was peaceful, and the Osirak reactor was not only unsuited to making bombs but was under intensive safeguards.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>In an interview in 2012, Wilson again emphasised: "The Iraqis couldn't have been developing a nuclear weapon at Osirak. I challenge any scientist in the world to show me how they could have done so."<sup id="cite_ref-Wilson_2012_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wilson_2012-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Contrary to Wilson's opinion, the American private intelligence agency <a href="/wiki/Stratfor" title="Stratfor">Stratfor</a> wrote in 2007 that the uranium-fueled reactor "was believed to be on the verge of producing plutonium for a weapons program".<sup id="cite_ref-stratfor_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-stratfor-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Iraq was a signatory to the <a href="/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons" title="Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons">Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty</a>, placing its reactors under <a href="/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agency" title="International Atomic Energy Agency">International Atomic Energy Agency</a> (IAEA) safeguards.<sup id="cite_ref-perl40_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-perl40-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In October 1981, the <i><a href="/wiki/Bulletin_of_the_Atomic_Scientists" title="Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists">Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists</a></i> published excerpts from the testimony of Roger Richter, a former IAEA inspector who described the weaknesses of the agency's nuclear safeguards to the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Foreign_Relations" title="United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations">United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations</a>. Richter testified that only part of Iraq's nuclear installation was under safeguard and that the most sensitive facilities were not even subject to safeguards.<sup id="cite_ref-bulletin1_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bulletin1-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> IAEA's Director-General <a href="/wiki/Sigvard_Eklund" title="Sigvard Eklund">Sigvard Eklund</a> issued a rebuttal saying that Richter had never inspected <i>Osirak</i> and had never been assigned to inspect facilities in the Middle East.<sup id="cite_ref-bulletin1_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bulletin1-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Eklund claimed that the safeguards procedures were effective and that they were supplemented by precautionary measures taken by the nuclear suppliers.<sup id="cite_ref-bulletin1_22-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bulletin1-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Anthony Fainberg, a physicist at the <a href="/wiki/Brookhaven_National_Laboratory" title="Brookhaven National Laboratory">Brookhaven National Laboratory</a>, disputed Richter's claim that a fuel processing program for the manufacturing of nuclear weapons could have been conducted secretly.<sup id="cite_ref-bulletin1_22-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bulletin1-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Fainberg wrote that there was barely enough fuel on the site to make one bomb, and that the presence of hundreds of foreign technicians would have made it impossible for the Iraqis to take the necessary steps without being discovered.<sup id="cite_ref-fainberg_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fainberg-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Preparations">Preparations</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Preparations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox" style="width: 230px; clear: right; float:right;margin:0 0 1.5em 1.5em"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size:115%">External videos</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data" style="text-align: left"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="video icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg/16px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg/24px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg/32px-Nuvola_apps_kaboodle.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></span></span> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSNEZ687eFo">News report</a> on French television station <a href="/wiki/TF1" title="TF1">TF1</a> showing a part of the air raid on Tamuz by the Iranian air force. (3 October 1980)</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Fallout_of_the_Islamic_Revolution">Fallout of the Islamic Revolution</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Fallout of the Islamic Revolution"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Pahlavi_Iran" title="Pahlavi Iran">Iran</a> and <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a>, for years prior to the <a href="/wiki/Iranian_Revolution" class="mw-redirect" title="Iranian Revolution">Islamic Revolution</a>, had been monitoring the <i>Osirak</i> nuclear reactor and other potential sites of concern in <a href="/wiki/Ba%27athist_Iraq" title="Ba'athist Iraq">Iraq</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooper_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cooper-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After the Islamic Revolution, the new <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Islamic Republic</a> heightened surveillance of the reactor (to the point that their relations with <a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a>, the builder of the reactor, suffered). Despite official hostility between <a href="/wiki/Ruhollah_Khomeini" title="Ruhollah Khomeini">Khomeini</a> and his allies with Israel and <a href="/wiki/Calls_for_the_destruction_of_Israel" title="Calls for the destruction of Israel">anti-Israeli rhetoric</a>, certain elements of the Iranian and Israeli government sometimes continued to help each other clandestinely because they had a common enemy in the <a href="/wiki/Arab_world" title="Arab world">Arab countries</a>. Even as late as 1987, Israeli prime minister <a href="/wiki/Yitzhak_Rabin" title="Yitzhak Rabin">Yitzhak Rabin</a> stated: "Iran is our best friend and we don't intend to change our position."<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Iraqi_invasion_of_Iran">Iraqi invasion of Iran</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Iraqi invasion of Iran"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>When the <a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a> broke out, the Iranians became increasingly concerned that the Iraqis were developing nuclear weapons to use against them. Before the war, Iran had a contingency plan to attack the plant. However, course of action was met with difficulties in the <a href="/wiki/Aftermath_of_the_Iranian_Revolution" class="mw-redirect" title="Aftermath of the Iranian Revolution">aftermath of the Islamic Revolution</a>, as Iran had lost the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> as a chief ally and therefore could not adequately maintain the world's fifth-largest military that it had at the time. Spare parts were hard to come by, and many Iranian aerial assets had to be cannibalized. The Israelis secretly shipped some spare parts to Iran to help their air force, though these were ultimately insufficient.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooper_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cooper-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Many of Iran's military pilots, officers, and <a href="/wiki/Nader_Jahanbani" title="Nader Jahanbani">leaders</a> had also been purged (executed by firing squad) after the Islamic Revolution. Furthermore, the Iranians no longer had the benefit of a surprise attack initiative due to the <a href="/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Iran" title="Iraqi invasion of Iran">Iraqi invasion of Iran</a>, nor did they have access to American spy satellite footage to assess the facility's layout.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooper_24-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cooper-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Planning">Planning</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Planning"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Islamic_Republic_of_Iran_Air_Force" title="Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force">IRIAF</a> (under <a href="/wiki/Javad_Fakoori" title="Javad Fakoori">Javad Fakoori</a>) began to plan out an entirely new plan to attack <i>Osirak</i>. The Iranians had little intelligence about the plant, and there was even a risk that it was already being fuelled, increasing the possibility of <a href="/wiki/Radioactive_fallout" class="mw-redirect" title="Radioactive fallout">radioactive fallout</a>. In a joint plan with Israeli input, the Iranians decided that they would not target the actual reactor itself, but the research laboratories, the reactor control building, and the training facilities.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooper_24-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cooper-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg/250px-Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="190" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg/375px-Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg/500px-Irani_F-4_Phantom_II_refueling_through_a_boom.jpg 2x" data-file-width="803" data-file-height="609" /></a><figcaption> An Iranian <a href="/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II" title="McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II">F-4 Phantom II</a> being refueled during the <a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a>, 1982</figcaption></figure> <p>The <i>Osirak</i> nuclear reactor was defended by a single <a href="/wiki/SA-6" class="mw-redirect" title="SA-6">SA-6</a> missile battery just over a mile (2 km) to the southeast of the site, three <a href="/wiki/Roland_(missile)" title="Roland (missile)">Roland-2</a> missile batteries mounted in a triangle some 1600 ft (500m) around the reactor, and 40 <a href="/wiki/Anti-aircraft_artillery" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-aircraft artillery">anti-aircraft artillery</a> positions (<a href="/wiki/23_mm_caliber" title="23 mm caliber">23 mm</a> and <a href="/wiki/6-pounder_gun" title="6-pounder gun">57 mm</a> radar guided guns). Due to US sanctions, the Iranian <a href="/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II" title="McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II">F-4 Phantom</a> <a href="/wiki/Fighter-bombers" class="mw-redirect" title="Fighter-bombers">fighter-bombers</a> were only able to disrupt the SA-6 (as they were American jammer pods) and were not able to get <a href="/wiki/Electronic_countermeasure" title="Electronic countermeasure">electronic countermeasure pods</a> to jam the Iraqi Roland. Instead the Iranians had to fly low over the target, and move at high speed and get out quickly; due to this the mission was to be carried out by Iran's most skilled pilots.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooper_24-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cooper-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The major problem was the lack of intelligence- due to the break-down in relations with the US, the IRIAF had no new satellite photographs of the building site, nor were there any new pictures taken from the ground. Israeli and Syrian intelligence agencies both reported that the work on the reactors was advancing, but in the final days before the mission, some doubts surfaced over whether the reactor was finally fueled. The Iranians could not risk causing a nuclear fall-out over Baghdad. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Execution">Execution</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Execution"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>As September 30 dawned, four F-4 Phantoms of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, took off from the Nojeh TAB 3, at Kaboodar Ahang, near <a href="/wiki/Hamadan" title="Hamadan">Hamadan</a>. Flying on a southwesterly course, the formation first approached the Iraqi border in order to meet a <a href="/wiki/Boeing_707" title="Boeing 707">Boeing 707</a>-3J9C <a href="/wiki/Aerial_refueling" title="Aerial refueling">tanker</a>, escorted by a pair of <a href="/wiki/Grumman_F-14_Tomcat" title="Grumman F-14 Tomcat">F-14 Tomcats</a>, in order to refuel mid air. Each Phantom was armed with six <a href="/wiki/Mark_82_bomb" title="Mark 82 bomb">Mk.82 GP bombs</a>, two <a href="/wiki/AIM-7_Sparrow" title="AIM-7 Sparrow">AIM-7E-2 Sparrow</a> <a href="/wiki/Air-to-air_missile" title="Air-to-air missile">air-to-air missiles</a>, and a full load of 20mm ammunition for the <a href="/wiki/M61_Vulcan" title="M61 Vulcan">M-61A1 Vulcan cannon</a>. After crossing into Iraq in a very low altitude, the formation, led by a colonel, climbed to gain altitude, so the enemy early-warning radars would paint it just long enough for the Iraqis to think they had fixed the direction in which the Iranians were heading. Moments later, the group dropped back to a very low level, where the Iraqis were no longer able to track. Then, the group parted ways, the leading pair continued in the same direction as before, towards a powerplant just south of Baghdad, while the other two Phantoms diverted for Tuwaitha, further west. As the last two F-4 Phantoms approached the Tammuz building site, they remained in a very low altitude, pulling up again at the last moment, barely at 2.4 miles (4 km) from the target, and then remained there for a brief period. To the surprise of the pilots, the Iraqis did not even fire a single missile or shell at them. Approaching on a direct route and executing a perfect attack, the Iranians swiftly sighted their targets east of the reactor buildings, rolled out and released their 12 Mk.82 bombs, remaining in the air over the target for only six seconds. Simultaneously, the two other Phantoms hit their target, taking out the power supply to Baghdad for the next two days. Witnesses reported that at least two Iranian bombs clearly impacted the reactor itself, while the other bombs triggered a voluminous blaze that damaged all the other installations in the complex, such as the cooling pumps, the labs and other support facilities.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Aftermath">Aftermath</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Aftermath"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Reaction_in_the_Western_and_Arab_worlds">Reaction in the Western and Arab worlds</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Reaction in the Western and Arab worlds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There was controversy over the results of the Operation Scorch Sword. In the West, the strike was viewed as having caused only "minor damage", the same opinion expressed by the Iraqis. However, soon it turned evident that the strike was clearly successful in disrupting the Iraqi nuclear program, both physically through the strike, and also psychologically, as the Iraqis immediately denounced Iran for "its cooperation with the <a href="/wiki/Arab%E2%80%93Israeli_conflict" title="Arab–Israeli conflict">Zionist enemy</a>", suspecting, together with the French, that the aircraft did not come from Iran but from Israel. <a href="/wiki/Saddam_Hussein" title="Saddam Hussein">Saddam Hussein</a> personally stated that Israeli aircraft had already flown over Iraq, including delivering a strike against Baghdad on 27 July 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Israel's_Operation_Opera_(1981)"><span id="Israel.27s_Operation_Opera_.281981.29"></span>Israel's Operation Opera (1981)</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Israel's Operation Opera (1981)"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The French intelligence services later on, falsely reported that the September 30 attack on Tuwaitha was carried out by "two unidentified Israeli Phantoms" or aircraft with Iranian markings flown by Israel. Israel emphatically denied all such allegations, pointing to the fact that such an operation would be almost impossible to carry out with their F-4s. In order to confirm the results of the raid, on 30 November 1980, one F-4 Phantom took off from Hamadan in a recon mission over Tuwaitha, in order to gather pictures of the attacked reactor. Flying at low level, the Phantom made a single pass over Osirak, taking the desired pictures. Despite being fired at by several Iraqi AAA and SAM sites, the RF-4E Phantom avoided them and returned safely into Iran. Later on, and once analysed the classified pictures, these confirmed that the attack was successful, presenting the damaged infrastructure of the nuclear complex. Despite rumors and cover-up attempts, the facts clearly present a successful airstrike, that was successful in achieving its main aim of delaying and damaging the Iraqi nuclear program.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (June 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> The results and the experiences achieved by the IRIAF in this operation, proved crucial for another country, Israel. Just as concerned as Iran with the Iraqi nuclear program, the IRIAF operation proved useful for the <a href="/wiki/Israeli_Air_Force" title="Israeli Air Force">IAF</a> in order to prepare the final blow to the Iraqi nuclear program. This final blow, would came up on June 7, 1981, in the <a href="/wiki/Operation_Opera" title="Operation Opera">Operation Opera</a>, almost nine months after this Iranian operation.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability"><span title="The material near this tag failed verification of its source citation(s). (June 2024)">failed verification</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Opera" title="Operation Opera">Operation Opera</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Scorch_Sword&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Operation_Scorch_Sword-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Operation_Scorch_Sword_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nsarchive.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/document-friday-when-iran-bombed-iraqs-nuclear-reactor/">When Iran Bombed Iraq's Nuclear Reactor</a>, Iraq's Osirak Destruction.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-reiter-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-reiter_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFDan_Reiter2005" class="citation web cs1">Dan Reiter (July 2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/Osirak.pdf">"Preventive Attacks against Nuclear Programs and the "Success" at Osiraq"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Nonproliferation Review</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">29 November</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Nonproliferation+Review&rft.atitle=Preventive+Attacks+against+Nuclear+Programs+and+the+%22Success%22+at+Osiraq&rft.date=2005-07&rft.au=Dan+Reiter&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diplomatie.gouv.fr%2Ffr%2FIMG%2Fpdf%2FOsirak.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOperation+Scorch+Sword" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mcnair41-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-mcnair41_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190629221406/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/mcnair41/41irq.htm">"McNair Paper 41, Radical Responses to Radical Regimes: Evaluating Preemptive Counter-Proliferation, May 1995"</a>. 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(2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=YAd8efHdVzIC&q=Rafael+Eitan+Menachem+Begin+Osirak+Iraq"><i>The Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History</i></a>. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 755. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1851098415" title="Special:BookSources/978-1851098415"><bdi>978-1851098415</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Encyclopedia+of+the+Arab-Israeli+Conflict%3A+A+Political%2C+Social%2C+and+Military+History&rft.place=Santa+Barbara&rft.pages=755&rft.pub=ABC-CLIO&rft.date=2008&rft.isbn=978-1851098415&rft.aulast=Tucker&rft.aufirst=Spencer+C.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DYAd8efHdVzIC%26q%3DRafael%2BEitan%2BMenachem%2BBegin%2BOsirak%2BIraq&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOperation+Scorch+Sword" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-perl40-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-perl40_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-perl40_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Perlmutter, p. 40.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-perl4142-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-perl4142_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-perl4142_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Perlmutter, pp. 41–42.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLucien_S._Vandenborucke1984" class="citation journal cs1">Lucien S. 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style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Iran–Iraq War">Iran–Iraq War</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Participants<br />& <a href="/wiki/International_aid_to_combatants_in_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="International aid to combatants in the Iran–Iraq War">supporters</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/British_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="British support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war">Britain</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arms-to-Iraq" class="mw-redirect" title="Arms-to-Iraq">Arms-to-Iraq</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Egypt%E2%80%93Iraq_relations#Iran–Iraq_War" title="Egypt–Iraq relations">Egypt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/French_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="French support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war">France</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Israel_in_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Israel in the Iran–Iraq War">Israel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Italian_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" title="Italian support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war">Italy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iraq%E2%80%93Jordan_relations#Iran–Iraq_War" title="Iraq–Jordan relations">Jordan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iraq%E2%80%93Kuwait_relations#Iran–Iraq_War" title="Iraq–Kuwait relations">Kuwait</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/North_Korean_support_for_Iran_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="North Korean support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq war">North Korea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pakistan_and_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Pakistan and the Iran–Iraq War">Pakistan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Singapore_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" title="Singapore support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war">Singapore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Syria_relations#Iran–Iraq_War" title="Iran–Syria relations">Syria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_Union_and_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet Union and the Iran–Iraq War">Soviet Union</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_support_for_Iran_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq war">for Iran</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soviet_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="Soviet support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war">for Iraq</a></li></ul></li> <li>United States <ul><li><a href="/wiki/United_States_support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="United States support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War">for Iraq</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Staunch" title="Operation Staunch">Operation Staunch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair" title="Iran–Contra affair">Iran–Contra</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:United_Nations_Security_Council_resolutions_concerning_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Category:United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning the Iran–Iraq War">UN Security Council</a></li> <li>non-state participants <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Peshmerga" title="Peshmerga">Peshmerga</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kurdistan_Democratic_Party" title="Kurdistan Democratic Party">KDP</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Patriotic_Union_of_Kurdistan" title="Patriotic Union of Kurdistan">PUK</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sipay_Rizgari" class="mw-redirect" title="Sipay Rizgari">Sipay Rizgari</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Islamic_Supreme_Council_of_Iraq" title="Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq">ISCI</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Badr_Organization" title="Badr Organization">Badr</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/People%27s_Mujahedin_of_Iran" class="mw-redirect" title="People's Mujahedin of Iran">MeK</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Democratic_Party_of_Iranian_Kurdistan" title="Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan">KDPI</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Timeline</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0;;wide"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Prelude</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_relations" title="Iran–Iraq relations">Iran–Iraq relations</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Zuhab" title="Treaty of Zuhab">Treaty of Zuhab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Treaty_of_Saadabad" title="Treaty of Saadabad">Treaty of Saadabad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baghdad_Pact" class="mw-redirect" title="Baghdad Pact">Baghdad Pact</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1974%E2%80%9375_Shatt_al-Arab_clashes" class="mw-redirect" title="1974–75 Shatt al-Arab clashes">1974–75 Shatt al-Arab clashes</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1975_Algiers_Agreement" title="1975 Algiers Agreement">Algiers Accord</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khuzestan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Khuzestan Province">Khuzestan</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Khuzestan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="History of Khuzestan Province">History</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Politics_of_Khuzestan_Province" class="mw-redirect" title="Politics of Khuzestan Province">Politics</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Arab_Socialist_Ba%27ath_Party_%E2%80%93_Iraq_Region" title="Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region">Ba'ath Party</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iranian_Revolution" class="mw-redirect" title="Iranian Revolution">Iranian Revolution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-Iranian_sentiment" title="Anti-Iranian sentiment">Anti-Iranianism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;"><a href="/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Iran" title="Iraqi invasion of Iran">Iraqi invasion</a> (1980)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/22_September_1980_Iraqi_airstrike_on_Iran" title="22 September 1980 Iraqi airstrike on Iran">Iraqi airstrike</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Kaman_99" title="Operation Kaman 99"><i>Kaman 99</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Khorramshahr_(1980)" title="Battle of Khorramshahr (1980)">1st Khorramshahr</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Sultan_10" title="Operation Sultan 10"><i>Sultan 10</i></a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink"><i>Scorch Sword</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Abadan" title="Siege of Abadan">Siege of Abadan</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Kafka&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Operation Kafka (page does not exist)"><i>Kafka</i></a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Ashkan&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Operation Ashkan (page does not exist)"><i>Ashkan</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Morvarid" title="Operation Morvarid"><i>Morvarid</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dezful" title="Operation Dezful"><i>Dezful</i></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Stalemate (1981)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Nasr" title="Operation Nasr"><i>Nasr</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/H-3_airstrike" title="H-3 airstrike">H-3</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Liberation of Iranian territories (1982)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Samen-ol-A%27emeh" title="Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh"><i>Samen-ol-A'emeh</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Tariq_al-Qods" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Tariq al-Qods"><i>Tariq-ol-Qods</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Fath_ol-Mobin" title="Operation Fath ol-Mobin"><i>Fath-ol-Mobin</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Beit_ol-Moqaddas" title="Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/Liberation_of_Khorramshahr" class="mw-redirect" title="Liberation of Khorramshahr">2nd Khorramshahr</a>)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Iranian offensives (1982–84)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dujail_Massacre" class="mw-redirect" title="Dujail Massacre">Dujail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Ramadan" title="Operation Ramadan"><i>Ramadan</i> (1st Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Muslim_ibn_Aqil" title="Operation Muslim ibn Aqil"><i>Muslim ibn Aqil</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Muharram" title="Operation Muharram"><i>Muharram</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Before_the_Dawn" title="Operation Before the Dawn"><i>Before the Dawn</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_(1983)" title="Operation Dawn (1983)"><i>Dawn 1</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_2" title="Operation Dawn 2"><i>Dawn 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_3" title="Operation Dawn 3"><i>Dawn 3</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn-4" title="Operation Dawn-4"> <i>Dawn 4</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_5" title="Operation Dawn 5"><i>Dawn 5</i> (2nd Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Kheibar" title="Operation Kheibar"><i>Kheibar</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kurdish_rebellion_of_1983" class="mw-redirect" title="Kurdish rebellion of 1983">Kurdish rebellion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_6" title="Operation Dawn 6"><i>Dawn 6</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_7" title="Operation Dawn 7"><i>Dawn 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Marshes" title="Battle of the Marshes">Marshes</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Iranian offensives (1985–87)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Badr_(1985)" title="Operation Badr (1985)"><i>Badr</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_8" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Dawn 8"><i>Dawn 8</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/First_Battle_of_al-Faw" title="First Battle of al-Faw">1st al-Faw</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Dawn_9" title="Operation Dawn 9"><i>Dawn 9</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Mehran" class="mw-redirect" title="Battle of Mehran"><i>Karbala 1</i> (Mehran)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-2" title="Operation Karbala-2"><i>Karbala 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-3" title="Operation Karbala-3"><i>Karbala 3</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-4" title="Operation Karbala-4"><i>Karbala 4</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Siege_of_Basra" title="Siege of Basra"><i>Karbala 5</i> (3rd Basra)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-6" title="Operation Karbala-6"><i>Karbala 6</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-7" title="Operation Karbala-7"><i>Karbala 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-8" title="Operation Karbala-8"><i>Karbala 8</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala-9" title="Operation Karbala-9"><i>karbala 9</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Karbala_10" title="Operation Karbala 10"><i>Karbala 10</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Nasr_4" title="Operation Nasr 4"><i>Nasr 4</i></a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Mountain_Mast&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Operation Mountain Mast (page does not exist)"><i>Mountain Mast</i></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Final stages (1988)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/War_of_the_Cities" class="mw-redirect" title="War of the Cities">War of the Cities</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War#Attacks_on_shipping" title="Iran–Iraq War">Tanker War</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Beit-ol-Moqaddas_2&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas 2 (page does not exist)"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas 2</i></a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Operation_Beit-ol-Moqaddas_7&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Operation Beit-ol-Moqaddas 7 (page does not exist)"><i>Beit-ol-Moqaddas 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Al-Anfal_Campaign" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Anfal Campaign">Al-Anfal Campaign</a> (<a href="/wiki/Halabja_chemical_attack" class="mw-redirect" title="Halabja chemical attack">Halabja</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Zafar_7" title="Operation Zafar 7"><i>Zafar 7</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tawakalna_ala_Allah_Operations" title="Tawakalna ala Allah Operations"><i>Tawakalna ala Allah</i></a> (<a href="/wiki/Second_Battle_of_al-Faw" title="Second Battle of al-Faw">2nd al-Faw</a>)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Shining_Sun" title="Operation Shining Sun"><i>Shining Sun</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Forty_Stars" title="Operation Forty Stars"><i>Forty Stars</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Eternal_Light" class="mw-redirect" title="Operation Eternal Light"><i>Eternal Light</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1988_executions_of_Iranian_political_prisoners" title="1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners">1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Mersad" title="Operation Mersad"><i>Mersad</i></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">US intervention</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/USS_Stark_incident" title="USS Stark incident">USS <i>Stark</i> incident</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Earnest_Will" title="Operation Earnest Will"><i>Earnest Will</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Prime_Chance" title="Operation Prime Chance"><i>Prime Chance</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Eager_Glacier" title="Operation Eager Glacier"><i>Eager Glacier</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Nimble_Archer" title="Operation Nimble Archer"><i>Nimble Archer</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Praying_Mantis" title="Operation Praying Mantis"><i>Praying Mantis</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655" title="Iran Air Flight 655">Iran Air Flight 655</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;background-color:#DCDCDC;color:inherit;">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_battle_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" class="mw-redirect" title="Order of battle during the Iran–Iraq War">Order of battle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iraqi_chemical_weapons_program" title="Iraqi chemical weapons program">Iraqi chemical weapons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Iranian_commanders_in_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Iranian commanders in the Iran–Iraq War">Iranian commanders</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iranian_aerial_victories_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="Iranian aerial victories during the Iran–Iraq war">Iranian aerial victories</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iraqi_aerial_victories_during_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_war" class="mw-redirect" title="Iraqi aerial victories during the Iran–Iraq war">Iraqi aerial victories</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Works_about_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War" title="Category:Works about the Iran–Iraq War">In media</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/United_Nations_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_Military_Observer_Group" title="United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group">UNIIMOG</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_Fath" title="Order of Fath">Order of Fath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Invasion_of_Kuwait" class="mw-redirect" title="Invasion of Kuwait">Invasion of Kuwait</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td 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