Operation Morvarid gave Iran a decisive naval victory early in the Iran-Iraq War, effectively destroying much of the Iraqi Navy in a single engagement.
Key Facts
- Date of operation
- 27 November 1980
- Launched by
- Iranian Navy and Air Force
- Target
- Iraqi Navy sites and oil rigs
- Oil rigs destroyed
- Mina Al-Bakr and Khor-al-Amaya
- Outcome
- Iranian victory
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Iraq had positioned radar and monitoring equipment on the Mina Al-Bakr and Khor-al-Amaya oil rigs in the Persian Gulf to counter Iranian air operations following the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in September 1980, giving Baghdad an intelligence and surveillance advantage over Iranian movements.
On 27 November 1980, the Iranian Navy and Air Force launched Operation Morvarid, a coordinated strike targeting Iraqi naval installations. Iranian forces attacked both the Mina Al-Bakr and Khor-al-Amaya oil rigs, which Iraq had converted into military outposts, while also striking Iraqi ports and airfields.
The operation resulted in a clear Iranian victory. Both oil rigs were destroyed, a large portion of the Iraqi Navy was eliminated, and significant damage was inflicted on Iraqi ports and airfields, substantially degrading Iraq's naval capability for the remainder of the war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent