THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR: A MILITARY, ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ASSESSMENT

This comprehensive assessment examines the Iran-Iraq war across military, economic, and socio-political dimensions during its fourth year in 1984, analyzing the evolution, impacts, and potential outcomes of this devastating conflict. The article investigates the military dynamics of the war, including strategies, tactics, and technological adaptations employed by both sides. The research explores the economic dimensions, assessing how the conflict has affected oil production, economic development, and financial resources in both countries. The study examines the socio-political impacts, analyzing how the war has influenced political systems, social cohesion, and regional relations in Iran and Iraq. The article assesses the roles of external powers in the conflict and evaluates various peace initiatives and mediation efforts. The research also considers potential war outcomes and their implications for regional stability and global energy security.

The Iran-Iraq war represented one of the most destructive conflicts of the late 20th century, with this article providing a comprehensive multi-dimensional assessment during its prolonged stalemate phase in 1984. The research begins by examining the historical context and immediate triggers of the conflict, analyzing how border disputes, ideological competition, and regional ambitions led to full-scale war in 1980. The analysis explores the military dimension, investigating how initial Iraqi advances were reversed by Iranian mobilization, leading to protracted warfare characterized by trench battles, chemical weapons use, and "war of the cities" missile exchanges. The article examines the economic impacts, assessing how the conflict devastated oil infrastructure in both countries, diverted resources from development to destruction, and created massive opportunity costs for economic advancement. The study investigates socio-political consequences, analyzing how war mobilization affected political systems in both countries, transformed social structures through mass casualties and displacement, and reshaped regional alliance patterns. The research evaluates the roles of external powers, examining how superpower positioning, Arab state financing, and international arms transfers sustained the conflict while various mediation efforts failed to achieve breakthrough. Based on the comprehensive assessment, the article analyzes potential conflict trajectories and their implications for Persian Gulf security and global energy markets. The findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of prolonged conventional warfare between relatively matched regional powers and contribute to understanding how local conflicts become embedded in broader international rivalries.