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siege, notable, Cold War

Siege of Basra

Siege of Basra was a siege conducted on 26 February 1987 at Basra Governorate, in what is now Iraq. It was part of the Iran–Iraq War, which ran from 1980 to 1988. The recorded result: Iraqi victory. Recorded strength: 300,000 against 150,000–200,000.

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Operation Karbala-5 was a successful invasion for Iran and Iranian forces seized some embankments in east of Basrah.
Operation Karbala-5 was a successful invasion for Iran and Iranian forces seized some embankments in east of Basrah.. User:AnonMoosUser:Gire_3pich2005, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 February 1987
WhereBasra Governorate, Iraq30.500N, 47.800E
OutcomeIraqi victory
BelligerentsIraqagainstIran
Part ofIran–Iraq War1980 to 1988

Where it sits in the Iran–Iraq War

Battle of Khorramshahr, 1980Operation Kaman 99, 1980Operation Scorch Sword, 1980Operation Dezful, 1980Siege of Abadan, 1980Operation Morvarid, 1980Battle of Dezful, 1981Attack on H3, 1981Bombing of Dowletu Prison, 1981Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh, 1981Operation Tariq al-Qods, 1981Operation Undeniable Victory, 1982Liberation of Khorramshahr, 1982Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas, 1982Operation Dawn 2, 1983Operation Dawn 3, 1983Operation Dawn 5, 1984Tankers War, 1984Battle of the Marshes, 1984War of the Cities, 1984Operation Badr, 1985chemical attack on Behbahan battalion, 1986Operation Dawn 8, 1986First Battle of al-Faw, 1986Battle of Mehran, 1986Aerial bombardment of the industries of Arak city, 1986Operation Karbala-2, 1986Operation Fath 1, 1986Bombing of Andimeshk, 1986Operation Karbala-4, 1986Aerial bombing of Chavar football ground, 1987Siege of Basra, 1987Operation Nasr 4, 1987Chemical bombing of Sardasht, 1987Operation Earnest Will, 1987Operation Prime Chance, 1987Operation Nimble Archer, 1987Kermanshah park shelter bombing, 1988Operation Ramadan ul-Mubarak, 1988Operation Forty Stars, 1988Operation Mersad, 198819801988Siege of Basra, 1987
45 placed engagements of the Iran–Iraq War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date26 February 1987
to 26 February 1987
PlaceBasra Governorate, Iraq
30.500N, 47.800E
KindSiege, Cold War
Territorial changeIran crossed the border and captured a tiny sliver of Basra Governorate according to Iranian Colonel Mojtaba Jafari
Strength300,000150,000–200,000
Casualties and losses10,000 killed,; 1,750 captured; Other estimates: 20,000 casualties; 150 tanks and 10 aircraft lost40,000 killed; 80,000 wounded; Other estimates: 65,000 casualties; 218 armored vehicles; 21 boats; ≈2 million civilians displaced
Commanders
  • Saddam Hussein
  • Maher Abdul Rashid
  • Dhia ul-Din Jamal
  • Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat
  • Riyadh Taha
  • Hassan Yusuf
  • Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
  • Mohsen Rezaei
  • Husayn Kharrazi
  • Ali Sayyad Shirazi
  • Esmail Daghayeghi
  • Saeed Jalili
Siege of BasraSiege of BasraBattle of the CamelBattle of ShaibaBattle of BasraOperation Karbala-4chemical attack on Behbahan battalionBattle of Shaibachemical attack on Behbahan battalionKuwait CityAhvazAbadanAn NasiriyahAl JahraAsh Shatrah100 km30.500N, 47.800E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1987

Siege of Basra is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 206 in present-day Iraq.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q19996727, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Basra, revision 1370739316, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.