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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Iran
Index
Iran had created the SDC in 1980 to undertake what the Iranians
called Jange Tahmili, or the imposed war. Iran launched a
counteroffensive in January 1981. Both the volunteers and the
regular armed forces were eager to fight, the latter seeing an
opportunity to regain prestige lost because of their association
with the shah's regime. Iran's first major counterattack failed,
however, for political and military reasons. President Bani Sadr
was engaged in a power struggle with key religious figures and
eager to gain political support among the armed forces by direct
involvement in military operations. Lacking military expertise, he
initiated a premature attack by three regular armored regiments
without the assistance of the Pasdaran units. He also failed to
take into account that the ground near Susangerd, muddied by the
preceding rainy season, would make resupply difficult. As a result
of his tactical decision making, the Iranian forces were surrounded
on three sides. In a long exchange of fire, many Iranian armored
vehicles were destroyed or had to be abandoned because they were
either stuck in the mud or needed minor repairs. Fortunately for
Iran, however, the Iraqi forces failed to follow up with another
attack.
After Bani Sadr was ousted as president and commander in chief,
Iran gained its first major victory, when, as a result of
Khomeini's initiative, the army and Pasdaran suppressed their
rivalry and cooperated to force Baghdad to lift its long siege of
Abadan in September 1981. Iranian forces also defeated Iraq in the
Qasr-e Shirin area in December 1981 and January 1982. The Iraqi
armed forces were hampered by their unwillingness to sustain a high
casualty rate and therefore refused to initiate a new offensive.
In March 1982, Tehran launched a major offensive called
"Undeniable Victory." Its forces broke the Iraqi line near
Susangerd, separating Iraqi units in northern and southern
Khuzestan. Within a week, they succeeded in destroying a large part
of three Iraqi divisions. This operation, another combined effort
of the army, Pasdaran, and Basij, was a turning point in the war
because the strategic initiative shifted from Iraq to Iran. In May
1982, Iranian units finally regained Khorramshahr, but with high
casualties. After this victory, the Iranians maintained the
pressure on the remaining Iraqi forces, and President Saddam Husayn
announced that the Iraqi units would withdraw from Iranian
territory.
Data as of December 1987
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