The Gulf Tanker War : Iran and Iraq's Maritime Swordplay

In the 1984 Tanker War, Iraq used its superiority in airpower as an instrument in naval warfare, in a strategy designed to end combat. Iraq hoped to weaken Iran's economy and internationalize the war to force it to cease fighting, or remove the government; negotiations would follow, with Baghdad in a position of strength. Although the Iran-Iraq War was first and foremost a ground war, an argument can be made that the Tanker War contributed to the 1988 ceasefire. In this book, El-Shazly has produced a definitive chronicle of a much neglected, but significant, aspect of the eight year-long Iran-Iraq war, the so-called Tanker War. The book explains the reason for the Tanker War, analyzes Iraqi and Iranian motives and strategies, and surveys the regional and international responses that this phase of the war generated. Drawing on a wealth of primary data, interviews with naval experts and other relevant actors, as well as a mass military and international security-related literature, the author weaves an impressive framework for understanding the Tanker War and also for drawing the lessons which must be learned from this episode if such a method of warfare is not to be repeated. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Introduction: The War Iraq Started and Could Not End....Pages 1-17 The Tanker War: An Empirical Survey....Pages 18-44 The Main Protagonist: Saddam Hussein’s Iraq Facing Khomeini’s Iran....Pages 45-81 The Enduring Contest of Wills....Pages 82-113 Power-Play in the Gulf....Pages 114-161 The Actors, the Plot, the Props....Pages 162-200 The Ledger — A Chronological Survey of the Conflict....Pages 201-259 Iran’s Silent Force and the US Navy Take Centre Stage....Pages 260-304 Conclusion: The War Iraq could not Win and Iran could not Lose....Pages 305-342 Back Matter....Pages 343-403 Introduction: The War Iraq Started And Could Not End -- 1. The Tanker War: An Empirical Survey -- 2. The Main Protagonist: Saddam Hussein's Iraq Facing Khomeini's Iran -- 3. The Enduring Contest Of Wills -- 4. Power-play In The Gulf -- 5. The Actors, The Plot, The Props -- 6. The Ledger: A Chronological Survey Of The Conflict -- 7. Iran's Silent Force And The Us Navy Take Centre Stage -- Conclusion: The War Iraq Could Not Win And Iran Could Not Lose. Nadia El-sayed El-shazly. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 363-374) And Index. A description of the attempt by Iraq during its war with Iran to weaken its opponent's oil-dependent economy via air strikes. The text also examines how far this strategy contributed to the 1988 ceasefire.