Siege of Abadan

Overview

The siege of Abadan was the encirclement of the city by Iraqi forces beginning in November 1980. The city had already been under almost daily bombardment since the early days of the war, which began the previous September.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The siege of Abadan marked a significant escalation in the early phase of the Iran–Iraq War. Iraqi forces encircled the city beginning in November 1980, having subjected it to near-daily bombardment since the war opened in September. The encirclement demonstrated Iraq's operational ambition to sever and hold major Iranian urban centers, while the disparity between Iraqi and Iranian force sizes present at Abadan reflected Iran's effort to contest the city despite broader disorganization in the early war period. Iraqi casualties of roughly 1,500 against Iranian losses of approximately 3,000 indicate sustained and costly fighting within what was already a heavily damaged urban environment.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)