Siege of Abadan

The Siege of Abadan 1980-1981 was a major operation in the Iran- Iraq war.

Prehistory

In September 1980, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had carried out a surprise attack against Iran and had entered on a broad front in Iranian territory. The original plan called for Iraq, the city of Abadan with a Panzer Division, which departed from Baghdad to take. This department consisted of 500 to 600 tanks and 20,000 soldiers.

Course

On 3 November, the Iraqi armed forces reached the Iranian city of Abadan on the Shatt al-Arab. The local resistance proved too strong, so that the Iraqis had to call for reinforcements. A second, weakened armored division with a strength of about 4,500 men and 200 tanks was deployed to encircle the city from the northeast. The two Iraqi divisions were confronted with an unknown number of Iranian troops. The most likely sources predict that a single brigade defended with the support of two operational reserves Khorramshahr.

Although the Iraqis were repulsed by the Iranian Pasdaran units, they managed to take the city. But could not the Iraqis to overcome the fierce resistance; Parts of the city remained under Iranian control. The Iraqis kept the siege for several months straight, but the city could never completely conquer. A large part of the city, including the oil refinery was badly damaged or destroyed by the effects of the siege. The Iraqi armed forces ended the siege in September 1981.