Siege of Basra

Overview

The siege of Basra, code-named Operation Karbala-5 or The Great Harvest, was an offensive operation carried out by Iran in an effort to capture the Iraqi port city of Basra in early 1987. This battle, known for its extensive casualties and ferocious conditions, was the biggest battle of the war and proved to be the last major Iranian offensive. The Iranians failed to reach their objective.

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

Significance

Operation Karbala-5, the Iranian offensive aimed at capturing the Iraqi port city of Basra in early 1987, was the largest battle of the Iran–Iraq War. Iran committed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops against an Iraqi force of approximately 300,000 defenders. The assault produced extreme casualties — roughly 10,000 Iraqi and 40,000 Iranian — without Iran achieving its objective of taking Basra. The failure proved decisive for the wider war: Karbala-5 was the last major Iranian offensive of the conflict. Having expended massive manpower in a failed effort to seize Iraq's principal southern city, Iran was unable to mount a comparable strategic operation thereafter. The battle effectively marked the point at which Iranian offensive momentum in the war was exhausted.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (14)