Iraq recaptured the al-Faw peninsula in 35 hours using massed forces and chemical weapons, reversing a major Iranian gain from 1986.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 35 hours
- Iraqi troops deployed
- Over 100,000 troops
- Iranian defenders
- 15,000 Basij volunteers troops
- Chemical weapons used
- Extensively by Iraqi forces
- Iranian equipment fate
- Much captured intact
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 1986, Iran had seized the al-Faw peninsula during the First Battle of al-Faw, inflicting a significant defeat on Iraq. Over the following two years, Iraq restructured and reinforced its military, particularly the Republican Guard, preparing to retake the strategically important peninsula.
On 17 April 1988, Iraq launched Operation Ramadan Mubarak with over 100,000 troops, including Republican Guard and regular army divisions. Iraqi forces employed heavy chemical weapons against approximately 15,000 Iranian Basij defenders. The Republican Guard's southern assault and the VII Corps' northern push converged, with armoured divisions breaking through Iranian lines and linking up outside al-Faw.
The al-Faw peninsula was fully recaptured within 35 hours, with much Iranian equipment seized intact. The swift victory demonstrated the rebuilt Iraqi military's effectiveness and the decisive impact of chemical warfare use, significantly shifting momentum in the Iran–Iraq War in Iraq's favor in the war's final phase.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent