Tanker_War

Tanker War

Tanker War

1984–1988 naval skirmishes during the larger Iran–Iraq War


The Tanker War, part of the larger Iran–Iraq War, was a series of military attacks by Iran and Iraq against merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz from 1984 to 1988.

Quick Facts Date, Location ...

History

Before 1984, attacks against shipping had occurred, albeit on a much smaller scale.[3] In December 1980, UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim appealed to Iran and Iraq to ensure the security of peaceful shipping in the Gulf.[3] At that time, Iran assured other countries that it would keep the Strait of Hormuz open.[3]

Iraq launched the Tanker War in 1984[4] by attacking the oil terminal and oil tankers at Kharg Island.[5] Iraq's aim in attacking Iranian shipping was to provoke the Iranians to retaliate with extreme measures, such as closing the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic, thereby bringing about foreign intervention against Iran; the United States had threatened several times to intervene if the Strait of Hormuz were closed.[5] Kuwait and Saudi Arabia supported Iraq against Iran. The United States intervened in the conflict in 1986 to protect Kuwaiti tankers, and engaged in a confrontation with Iran.[6]

Both sides had declared an "exclusion zone", meaning areas in which they had warned ships from entering. Iraq declared the area around Iran's Kharg Island to be an exclusion zone.[7] Kharg Island hosted Iran's principal oil shipment port.[8] Iraq gave precise definition, in coordinates, of this exclusion zone and gave advance notification to all countries.[9] However, Iraq did not designate any safe passage routes in this zone.[9]

Iran declared all waters within 40 miles of its coast to be its exclusion zone. It instructed ships headed for non-Iranian ports to sail west of this line.[8] While Iran also did not designate any safe passages in its exclusion zone, this was unnecessary. Iran's exclusion zone allowed for ships to enter and exit the Gulf, and essentially only kept such foreign ships out of its own waters.[10]

Ironically, Iran's exclusion zone made it easier for Iraq to target Iranian ships. It allowed Iraq to assume that any ship in Iran's territorial waters must be going to (or coming from) an Iranian port.[11]

United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, was adopted unanimously on 20 July 1987, which engendered Operation Earnest Will (24 July 1987 – 26 September 1988), a successful United States effort to protect Kuwaiti merchandise and vessels. There were 37 US sailors killed by an Iraqi attack on the USS Stark.

List of attacks

1984

More information Date, Vessel attacked ...

1985

1986

1987

More information Date, Vessel attacked ...

1988

More information Date, Vessel attacked ...


Notes

  1. tug
  2. salvage tug
  3. hit in error
  4. tug towing Iran Nahad
  5. tugs damaged by explosion of Barcelona

References

Footnotes

  1. Allam, Shah (October–December 2004). "Iran-Pakistan Relations: Political and Strategic Dimensions" (PDF). Strategic Analysis. 28 (4). The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses: 526. doi:10.1080/09700160408450157. S2CID 154492122. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. Mir, Furrukh (2011). Half Truth. [u.s.]: iUniverse. ISBN 978-1450286459.
  3. Boczek 1989, p. 244.
  4. Roach, J. Ashley; Greenwood, Christopher J.; Lagoni, Rainer; Meron, Theodor (20–23 April 1988), "Missiles on Target; The Law of Targeting and the Tanker War", Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (American Society of International Law), 82: 154–169, doi:10.1017/S0272503700072980, JSTOR 25658421, S2CID 159309793
  5. Karsh, Efraim (2002). The Iran–Iraq War: 1980–1988. Osprey Publishing. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-84176-371-2.
  6. Dudley, William S. (2007), "Navies, Great Powers – United States, 1775 to the Present – The tanker war", in Hattendorf, John J. (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195130751.001.0001, ISBN 9780195307405
  7. Leckow 1988, p. 636.
  8. Trainor, Bernard E. (14 August 1987). "GULF RISKS: MINES AND SUICIDE BOATS". The New York Times.
  9. Leckow 1988, p. 637.
  10. Leckow 1988, p. 639.
  11. Post 1992, p. 191.
  12. Herman, Arthur (7 March 1984), "Two cargo ships were hit by Iraqi missiles", United Press International
  13. "Iranians Bomb Tanker From India in the Gulf", The New York Times, Associated Press, 13 October 1984
  14. "Liquefied Gas Ship Set Ablaze in Gulf", The New York Times, Reuters, 14 October 1984
  15. Middleton, Drew (21 October 1984), "Gulf War: Iran's Push is Limited", The New York Times
  16. Zatarain 2008, p. 91-92.
  17. "Texaco Supertanker Loaded With Iranian Oil Hits Mine : Cargo Leak, None Hurt, Owner Says". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 10 August 1987. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  18. Phillips, John (10 August 1987). "A U.S.-operated supertanker hit a mine outside the Persian..." United Press International. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  19. Phillips, John (10 August 1987). "U.S.-run tanker hits mine outside Persian Gulf". United Press International. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  20. Reed, Jack (15 August 1987). "A mine in the Gulf of Oman sank a..." United Press International. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  21. Phillips, Jason (16 August 1987). "The amphibious assault carrier USS Guadalcanal has arrived off..." United Press International. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Sources

  • Boczek, Boleslaw Adam (1989). "Law of Warfare at Sea and Neutrality:Lessons from the Gulf War". Ocean Development and International Law. 20 (3): 239–271. doi:10.1080/00908328909545892.
  • Leckow, Ross (July 1988). "The Iran-Iraq Conflict in the Gulf: The Law of War Zones". International & Comparative Law Quarterly. 37 (3): 629–644. doi:10.1093/iclqaj/37.3.629.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1984), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 21 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 396, JSTOR 44891106
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1985), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 22 (1), International Naval Research Organization: 51, JSTOR 44888933
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1985), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 22 (2), International Naval Research Organization: 145–146, JSTOR 44891147
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1985), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 22 (3), International Naval Research Organization: 306, JSTOR 44891192
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1985), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 22 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 399, JSTOR 44891899
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1986), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 23 (1), International Naval Research Organization: 30, JSTOR 44894586
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1986), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 23 (2), International Naval Research Organization: 140, JSTOR 44889022
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1986), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 23 (3), International Naval Research Organization: 271, JSTOR 44891948
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1986), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 23 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 378, JSTOR 44889078
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1987), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 24 (1), International Naval Research Organization: 71, JSTOR 44889099
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1987), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 24 (2), International Naval Research Organization: 164, JSTOR 44894620
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1987), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 24 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 358, JSTOR 44891264
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1988), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 25 (1), International Naval Research Organization: 37, JSTOR 44889197
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1988), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 25 (2), International Naval Research Organization: 195, JSTOR 44891248
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1988), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 25 (4), International Naval Research Organization: 402, JSTOR 44892028
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1989), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, 26 (1), International Naval Research Organization: 83, JSTOR 44892063
  • Wang, Erik B. (1995). "The Iran-Iraq War Revisited: Some Reflections on the Role of International Law". Canadian Yearbook of International Law. 32.
  • Zatarain, Lee Allen (2008). Tanker War: America's First Conflict with Iran, 1987-88. Casemate Publishers. ISBN 9781932033847.

Further reading

  • El-Shazly, Nadia El-Sayed (2016), The Gulf Tanker War: Iran and Iraq's Maritime Swordplay, Springer, ISBN 9781349263042
  • Navias, Martin S.; Hooton, E. R. (1996), Tanker Wars: Assault on Merchant Shipping During the Iran-Iraq Crisis, 1980-88, Bloomsbury Academic, ISBN 9781860640322
  • Walker, George K. (2000), "The Tanker War, 1980-88: Law and Policy", International Law Studies, 74, U.S. Naval War College

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Tanker_War, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.