Iranian Land Advances - Escalation of Attacks by Both Sides on Gulf Shipping Iraqi Air Attacks on Gulf Shipping (January to March, 1984)

Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives), Volume 30, August, 1984 International, Page 33056 © 1931-2006 Keesing's Worldwide, LLC - All Rights Reserved. Iranian land advances - Escalation of attacks by both sides on Gulf shipping Iraqi air attacks on Gulf shipping (January to March, 1984). Iranian land offensives (February to March). Controversy over alleged Iraqi use of chemical weapons (March to April). Escalation of attacks on Gulf shipping by both sides (March to July). Intervention by Saudi Air Force (May and June). Moratorium on shelling of civilian areas (June 12). In a series of offensives in early 1984, Iranian land forces made further gains of Iraqi territory, particularly on the southern front, where they captured the greater part of the Majnoon oil fields north of Basra. A major Iranian attack predicted for early June, however, had still not materialized by the beginning of July. The first six months of 1984 also witnessed an increase in Iraqi air attacks on tankers and merchant shipping trading with Iran; in a new development, Iranian aircraft retaliated by attacking tankers belonging to Kuwait (which, in common with other Gulf kingdoms, had consistently supported Iraq). This in turn led to intervention by the Saudi Air Force. Iraqi air attacks, January to March The Iraqi high command announced on Jan. 2 that its aircraft had destroyed “five enemy naval vessels” in the Gulf south of the Iranian port of Bandar Khomeini. An Iranian claim that two aircraft had been shot down in the attack was subsequently confirmed by Iraq. A further five “enemy naval targets” were reported sunk by Iraq on Jan. 31, and on Feb. 3 Iraq claimed to have sunk one Iranian gunboat and captured another as they approached Iraqi territorial waters. Three Cypriot-registered merchant ships were reported sunk in early February by Exocet missiles believed to have been fired from Iraqi Super Etendard aircraft (supplied by France in late 1983-see page 32689), and on Feb. 14 Iraq issued a statement warning that its forces would sink any ship approaching the Iranian ports of Bandar Khomeini or Bushire (to the south). Seven “naval targets” were reported destroyed by Iraq the following day. Following repeated warnings by the Iranian government that its forces would impose a blockade on the Gulf in the event of further Iraqi attacks on shipping [see for example page 32595], Mr Larry Speakes, the (United States) White House spokesman, insisted on Feb. 21 that there could be “absolutely no doubt” over the US intention to keep the Gulf open, and he confirmed press reports that a US naval task force headed by the aircraft carrier Midway was currently stationed in the “northern Arabian Sea”. After the US Navy had issued a warning that no aircraft should approach within five miles of US ships in the area, the Defence Department announced on Feb. 26 that a US destroyer had used machine-guns and flares to warn off an approaching Iranian aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz (at the southern entrance to the Gulf). An Iraqi military spokesman claimed on Feb. 27 that Iraqi aircraft had launched a major attack on Iranian oil installations at Kharg Island. Asserting that this signalled “the beginning of the blockade which we have decided to impose on this area”, he added a warning to tankers to stay clear of the island. US intelligence sources subsequently stated that aerial surveillance had not revealed any damage to the installations. In further attacks in early March, an Indian cargo vessel was damaged by an Iraqi missile while travelling in a convoy under Iranian naval protection near Bushire, and a Turkish merchant ship received a direct hit, two of its crew being killed and others injured. Reciprocal attacks on Iranian and Iraqi towns in February Baghdad (i. e. official Iraqi) radio warned on Feb. 1 that Iraqi forces would shortly launch air and missile attacks on the Iranian towns of Dezful, Shush, Andimeshk, Ahwaz, Kermanshah, Ilam and Abadan, and it called on citizens to evacuate those towns. Two days later Mr Hossein Moussavi, the Iranian Prime Minister, warned that Iran would retaliate against the Iraqi towns of Khanaqin, Mandali and Basra. All three of these towns were shelled on Feb. 12 following missile attacks on Dezful on Feb. 10, after which the (Iranian) Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) claimed that 4,600 Iranian civilians had been killed and over 22,000 wounded in Iraqi air attacks since 1982. There were further exchanges of shelling on Feb. 14. An Iraqi spokesman announced on the same day that, in respect of a request from the Iranian exile Mr Massoud Rajavi (leader of the Mujaheddin guerrillas and founder of the Paris-based National Resistance Council-see page 31507), Iraq was willing to halt attacks on civilian areas for seven days if Iran agreed to do likewise. In response, President Ali Khameini warned that Iranian forces would increase their attacks on all Iraqi towns with the exception of those housing holy shrines. The following day, Iranian aircraft for the first time bombed the outskirts of Baghdad (the Iraqi capital), as well as striking at Misan and Baqubah. The Iranian town of Abadan was shelled on Feb. 19. In a memorandum despatched to both governments on Feb. 10, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) accused both sides in the war of committing major breaches of the Geneva Convention (as approved at the Geneva Conference of 1949—see 10198 B). In particular, the ICRC criticized Iraq for the shelling civilian areas, and Iran for the treatment of Iraqi prisoners of war. Earlier, on Jan. 19, Iraq had freed “unconditionally” 190 Iranian prisoners, most of whom were old or seriously injured. Iranian land offensives launched in February In the first of a series of Iranian advances, IRNA claimed on Feb. 12 that revolutionary guards had fought their way to within six miles of the Darbandikhan dam, between Khanaqin and Sulaymaniyah in north- eastern Iraq [for Iranian successes in this sector in late 1983, see page 32689]. In a fresh offensive on Feb. 15–16 against Iraqi positions in the Changulah region, on the border south-east of Mehran, Iranian forces claimed to have captured 24 square miles of territory and killed 2,100 Iraqi troops. An Iraqi spokesman, however, stated that the attack had been “confronted and contained”. Further heavy fighting broke out on Feb. 22–23 (i)on the border near the Iranian town of Bostan 50 miles north- west of Ahwaz; (ii) in the region of the Iraqi town of Al Qurnah, at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; and (iii) on the Iraqi side of the border 10–15 miles north-west of Basra. On Feb. 23 the Iranians claimed to have captured a strategic bridge over the confluence at Al Qurnah, although this was denied both by Iraqi spokesmen and by correspondents in the town, and subsequent Iranian communiques were restricted to claims that the town was “within artillery range” and that it could be taken “whenever necessary”. Iranian spokesmen also claimed that gains had been made in the vicinity of Ali al Gharbi (70 miles north-west of Al Amarah), and on Feb. 24 they announced that Iranian troops had captured the (artificial) Majnoon Island, the site of important Iraqi oil installations. Iraqi forces launched a number of counter-attacks, which largely appeared to have failed in regaining territory, although air superiority was seen as a factor in causing what were believed to be very heavy casualties on the Iranian side; the Iraqi high command claimed that 14,500 Iranians had been killed in the period Feb. 22–26. Iraqi spokesmen admitted the loss of Majnoon Island on Feb. 28, although a counter- attack launched on March 6 succeeded in recapturing some of the lost positions by the middle of the month, as was confirmed by a visit to the area by Western journalists on March 19. Iraq also claimed to have defeated a further Iranian attack in the same area, in which troops had used pontoon bridges to cross marshland, on Feb. 28–March 1. It was subsequently reported in April that the Iraqi Army had opened dykes in the marshland around Majnoon in an attempt to flood the area and thereby impede any further Iranian advance. The continuing supply by British firms of spare parts for Iranian tanks and aircraft was criticized at this time by US State Department officials, who, while acknowledging British insistence that the components were “non-lethal”, claimed that they were nonetheless vital to the Iranian war effort. The criticism was reiterated by Mr George Shultz, the US Secretary of State, in an interview published in The Times on March 31. On April 2 the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that the UK maintained a stance of impartiality towards the conflict, although it confirmed reports that Iranian personnel were currently receiving training in the UK in the operation of Swiss-made anti-aircraft fire-control systems. Earlier, on Jan. 24, diplomatic sources in Baghdad had claimed that Iraqi forces had recently acquired Soviet-made SS-12 ground-to-ground missiles, which had a range of 500 miles. Controversy over alleged Iraqi use of chemical weapons Further evidence emerged in March to substantiate allegations that Iraqi forces were employing a variety of chemical weapons in the conflict[see page 32689]. Medical representatives of the ICRC who had examined wounded Iranian soldiers in Tehran (the Iranian capital) stated on March 7 that the soldiers had been “affected by substances prohibited by international law”. Other Iranian soldiers believed to be suffering from the effects of chemical weapons were flown for treatment to West Germany, Sweden, the UK and Austria. It was stated in Vienna on March 10 that laboratory tests showed that the soldiers had been affected both by a type of mustard gas and by certain mycotoxins commonly known as “yellow rain”. A UN delegation which visited Tehran to investigate the charges issued a report on March 26 concluding that “chemical weapons in the form of aerial bombs” had been used in Iran, and it also stated that there was evidence that a form of nerve gas, known as tabun, had been employed against Iranian troops. The UN security Council issued a statement adopted after private consultation on March 30 in which it condemned the use of chemical weapons in the war. On the same day, the US government announced that it had suspended the sale to Iraq of any chemicals which could be used to manufacture such weapons. On April 10 the Foreign Ministers of West Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, meeting in Luxembourg, agreed to introduce a licensing procedure designed to control the export of any compound which could be similarly employed. During this period the UK government repeatedly denied Iranian accusations that it was supplying Iraq with chemical weapons, and it called for an inquiry by the UN and the ICRC into the allegations. The International Herald Tribune of March 9 quoted “foreign military and diplomatic sources” as stating that Iraq had manufactured the weapons at a plant in As Samawah, 140 miles south of Baghdad. The Iraqi government did not at any time specifically deny that it had used chemical weapons. Questioned by journalists as to whether they would be used in the event of a fresh Iranian attack, an (unnamed) Iraqi military commander stated that “we shall use any means and any destructive or deterrent weapons against anyone who tries to cross our borders or occupy our land”. Escalation of attacks on Gulf shipping, March-early July A Greek-registered tanker was reported hit by a missile in international waters 40 miles south of Kharg Island on March 28, the day after an Iraqi spokesman had made the first reference to a use of Super Etendards when claiming an attack on the island itself. Another Greek ship, a freighter, was struck on March 29, on which day Iraq also claimed to have sunk two Iranian ships and two helicopters. (Iran confirmed the losses, but claimed that the aircraft had been shot down while attempting to rescue the ships” crews.) On April 18 Iraq also claimed to have hit two “naval targets”, a phrase which was customarily employed to refer to merchant ships or tankers, although only one vessel (a Panamanian-registered tanker) reported a hit. In what was seen as a surprising development in view of Saudi Arabia's support for Iraq, a Saudi tanker was badly damaged by either a missile or a mine 100 miles south of Kharg on April 26. Iraqi communiques made no mention of this, but it was confirmed by President Saddam Hussein on May 2. Another Saudi tanker was hit and set on fire, with one of its crew being killed, on May 7. The attack led to a decision by the insurance underwriters, Lloyds of London, to increase war risk premiums on voyages to the Gulf from 1.5 to 2 per cent of hull value. In a new development, a Kuwaiti tanker transporting Kuwaiti oil to the UK was hit and slightly damaged by a missile on May 13, and another Kuwaiti tanker was hit the following day. Amid growing suggestions that Iranian aircraft were responsible for these strikes, the Iraqi government denied that its forces had attacked the tankers, although it confirmed responsibility for raids on an Iranian and a Panamanian vessel. The Kuwaiti government formally accused Iran of hitting its tankers; this was denied by Hojatolislam Hashemi Rafsanjani, Speaker of the Majlis (Iranian parliament), who warned however that “if the Kharg route is not safeguarded, then no other routes in the Gulf will be secure”. On May 16 a Saudi tanker was set ablaze by aircraft fire, apparently from an Iranian fighter, within Saudi territorial waters five miles north of the port of Al Jubayl. This last attack was described by the US State Department as “a dangerous escalation”, and a department spokesman confirmed that US-supplied airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) aircraft would warn Saudi forces of any approaching aircraft. A US offer of direct military assistance was however rejected by the Saudi government. Emergency meetings of the Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC—see 32648 A]) and of the Arab League both condemned the “Iranian aggression”, and on May 21 the GCC announced that it was seeking a meeting of the UN security Council on the issue. The security Council completed its debate on the question on June 1, when it adopted a resolution by 13 votes to none with two abstentions (Nicaragua and Zimbabwe) calling on all states to respect freedom of navigation in the Gulf. The resolution also condemned the attacks on Kuwaiti and Saudi shipping, although it did not mention Iran specifically, as was requested in the original draft resolution presented on behalf of the GCC. Commenting on the resolution, the Iranian permanent representative at the UN said: “We strongly support freedom of navigation; the Gulf should remain a zone of peace and security for all. But we cannot permit anyone to use the Gulf against us; it will either remain free and open to all of us, or nobody will be allowed to use it.” In further attacks by Iraqi aircraft, a Panamanian-registered merchant ship was sunk near Kharg Island on May 19, and a Turkish tanker was damaged by a missile just south of Kharg on June 3. According to US State Department sources, Iranian aircraft which had attacked and sunk a Liberian- registered tanker in the western Gulf on May 24 were pursued by US-supplied F-4 fighters of the Saudi Air Force, although these details were not confirmed. The US administration, however, announced on May 29 that Saudi Arabia would be supplied with 400 shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and one KC- 10 in-flight refuelling aircraft. The supply was made under a presidential emergency powers order, thereby obviating the need for approval by Congress. It was also reported at this time that US warships area were escorting tankers through international waters in the Gulf. On June 5, F-15 fighter aircraft of the Saudi Air Force, assisted by AWACS aircraft, intercepted and shot down at least one Iranian F-4 fighter near a Saudi-owned island 40 miles east of the Gulf shore. While Saudi military spokesmen claimed that only one Iranian aircraft had been brought down, US officials asserted that the Saudi fighters had shot down two F-4s. The action, which was cautiously welcomed by other GCC states, led to a formal protest by the Iranian government on June 6. In subsequent naval attacks, a Liberian-registered cargo ship was badly damaged on June 6 when it struck a mine en route to Saudi Arabia from Bandar Abbas (in southern Iran), a Kuwaiti tanker was hit on June 10 by a missile off Qatar while en route to Kuwait to take on a cargo of Kuwaiti oil, and a Greek “super- tanker” was set on fire by an Iraqi missile at Kharg on June 24. A Swiss-owned tanker was badly damaged when it was struck by an Exocet missile on June 28, with eight of its crew reported killed. On July 5, a Liberian-registered tanker was slightly damaged in an air attack, reportedly by Iranian fighters, after it had loaded with crude oil at a Saudi terminal. A British tanker was slightly damaged on July 10 when it was struck in international waters by missiles fired from unidentified aircraft. Moratorium on shelling of residential areas Both Iran and Iraq resumed heavy shelling of residential areas in early June, amid reports that a major Iranian offensive had been delayed due to disagreements among the Iranian leadership. The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas of June 14 claimed that there were serious differences between Hojatolislam Rafsanjani and President Khameini, with the latter showing more concern over the possible human cost of a further major attack. An Iraqi air raid on Baneh (in Iranian Kurdistan) on June 5 killed 325 people and wounded a further 300, according to the Iranian Kayhan newspaper. The following day, Iraq launched air attacks on Nahavand, Dezful and Masjed Suleiman. Iranian artillery shelled Basra on June 7. On June 10, however, both governments agreed to an appeal by Sr Javier Pérez de Cuellar, the UN Secretary-General, for a moratorium on shelling of civilian areas to take effect from June 12. Despite occasional violations, the agreement appeared to be holding as of early July.—(International Herald Tribune—Le Monde—Guardian—Times—Financial Times—UN Information Centre, London) (The Guardian) (Prev. rep. 32687 A; 32594 A]