8 Years, 1 Million Corpses, and Mustard Gas- Was This Really Just a War?

International News: The Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) stands as one of the most devastating conflicts of the 20th century. Saddam Hussein launched the attack, hoping to exploit Iran’s post-revolution chaos. Over a million lives were lost, and countless others were maimed or displaced. Iraq used mustard gas against civilians—a blatant violation of war ethics. The war became a battlefield of sectarian dominance, not just territorial disputes. Despite a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1988, scars of the war still haunt the region. It was a war without victors—only a generation lost to ambition and ideology.

1. The War That Started With a Calculated Strike

On September 22, 1980, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein launched a surprise invasion of Iran. His objective: to exploit Iran's post-revolution turmoil and seize control of the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway. What he didn’t expect was Iran’s fierce resistance. The war quickly devolved into a bloody stalemate, with both sides locked in World War I-style trench warfare that lasted eight years.

2. A Death Toll with No Agreement

To this day, there is no universally accepted death toll. Most estimates suggest between 500,000 to 1 million people died, with Iran suffering the higher losses. Iran reportedly lost over 200,000 soldiers, while Iraq’s toll crossed 100,000. Millions more were injured or displaced, making this one of the costliest wars in modern Middle Eastern history.

3. The Chemical Nightmare Begins

Iraq’s use of chemical weapons marked a horrific chapter in modern warfare. Mustard gas, among other toxic agents, was used repeatedly on Iranian soldiers and civilians. In 1987, the city of Sardasht was attacked, and in 1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja witnessed the deadliest chemical assault in history—over 5,000 civilians, including women and children, were killed in a single day. Thousands more suffered lifelong injuries.

4. Burnt Skin and Shattered Lungs

After these attacks, Iranian hospitals were flooded with victims—many blinded, burned, or struggling to breathe. Some died instantly, others after years of painful illness. Thousands today still live with the trauma of the war—fighting respiratory diseases, skin cancers, and birth defects caused by those chemical clouds. These were not just war tactics; they were crimes against humanity.

5. And the World Looked Away

What shocked many was the silence—or worse, the complicity—of global powers. Countries like the United States, France, and the Soviet Union either turned a blind eye or provided logistical support to Iraq. Their fear of Iran’s Islamic revolution and its potential spread outweighed concerns over human rights violations. Intelligence, arms, and dual-use chemicals kept flowing into Iraq, even as gas was used on civilians.