What the Iran-Iraq war taught today’s Iranian leaders - and why that matters

What the Iran-Iraq war taught today’s Iranian leaders - and why that matters Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 04/23/2026 - 09:01 Iran’s response to the US-Israeli war is rooted in the legacy of the 1980s conflict, which defined the country’s political and military structure Iranian soldiers during the Iran-Iraq war in the early 1980s, including current parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, second left, and Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani, centre On In September 1980, Saddam Hussein ordered a full-scale ground and air attack on Iran , hoping for a quick victory. He told the Iraqi people he would reach Tehran within weeks. Instead, the war lasted nearly eight years and killed more than a million people.