The Gulf Tanker War: Iran and Iraq’s Maritime Swordplay

In The 1984 Tanker War, Iraq Used Its Superiority In Airpower As An Instrument In Naval Warfare, In A Strategy Designed To End Combat. Iraq Hoped To Weaken Iran's Economy And Internationalize The War To Force It To Cease Fighting, Or Remove The Government; Negotiations Would Follow, With Baghdad In A Position Of Strength. Although The Iran-iraq War Was First And Foremost A Ground War, An Argument Can Be Made That The Tanker War Contributed To The 1988 Ceasefire.