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 1981 to 1988. Iraq was responsible for 283 attacks. Iran accounted for 168.

History

The Iran–Iraq war began in September 1980. In December 1980, UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim appealed to Iran and Iraq to ensure the security of peaceful shipping in the Persian Gulf. At that time, Iran assured other countries that it would keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

In 1981, Iraq began attacking commercial shipping to undermine Iran's war effort. First, Iraqi forces targeted vessels transporting military supplies to the Iranian ground forces. Later, they expanded their campaign and attacked ships carrying Iranian exports. Iran retaliated by attacking vessels of Iraq's trading partners and countries that provided financial support to Iraq. The first phase of the Tanker War began in May 1981, when Iraq declared that they will attack all ships traveling to or from Iranian ports in the northern Persian Gulf. To enforce this threat, Iraq relied primarily on air power, using its Super Frelon helicopters and F-1 Mirage and MiG-23 fighter aircraft armed with Exocet anti-ship cruise missiles. Between 1981 and 1983, however, Iranian forces generally refrained from retaliation.

In 1984, Iraq broadened the tanker war by attacking the oil terminal and oil tankers at Kharg Island. 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.

In response, Iran began attacking tankers traveling to and from Kuwait and other Gulf Arab states that supported Iraq's war effort. As Iranian attacks intensified, Kuwait sought external protection for its shipping and began negotiating with the Soviet Union to provide naval escorts for its tankers.

The United States had threatened several times to intervene if the Strait of Hormuz were closed. 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.

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. Kharg Island hosted Iran's principal oil shipment port. Iraq gave precise definition, in coordinates, of this exclusion zone and gave advance notification to all countries. However, Iraq did not designate any safe passage routes in this zone.

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. 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. 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.

War studies scholar Stephen Phillips writes that "In January 1987, the Kuwaiti government proposed a clever scheme to deter Iranian attacks against their shipping. They asked the United States if they could reflag Kuwaiti tankers as American and receive the protection of the U.S. Navy. The administration of President Ronald Reagan debated this idea but finally agreed to it on March 7, 1987." These are known to O'Rourke as "reflagged Kuwaiti ships". On 17 May 1987, 37 US sailors were killed in an Iraqi aircraft attack on the USS Stark. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein apologized, saying that the pilot had mistaken the US vessel for an Iranian tanker.

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 US effort to protect Kuwaiti merchant shipping, because as noted by O'Rourke: "Aside from Iranian shipping, the most frequent victims have been ships steaming under the world's predominant flags of convenience." Western-led convoy tactics with armed guard vessels were used for protection in the latter stages of the Tanker War. In 1987, the use of towed, radar-deflecting decoys and other passive countermeasures was successfully initiated.

In total, well over 100 sailors were killed and a similar number wounded. More than 30 million tons of cargo was damaged from 1981 to 1987. In 1987, during the conflict, Iran perfected the art of speedboat attacks, and concentrated "their fire on the crew compartments of their target ships." Iran also used Chinese-made shore-based Silkworm missiles to good effect.

+ Flag Attacks sustaineddata sieve minimum of 5 Liberia 61 Iran 46 Panama 41 Cyprus 39 Greece 26 Malta 9 Kuwait 8 Saudi Arabia 8 Turkey 7 Norway 7 Singapore 6 UK 6 Japan 6 South Korea 5 West Germany 5

List of attacks 1984 + DateVessel attackedAgentResult Name Flag GRT/Date1984-03-01CharmingIraqi missile1984-03-01(?)Sema-GIraqi missile1984-03-04APJ Ambika16000Iraqi missile1984-03-29Iran Dahr12257/71 Iraqi missile1984-05-27Savoy Dean19291/68Iraqi missile1984-06-03Büyük Hun 80683/77 Iraqi missiles1984-06-03Giant Kirn32107/71 Unidentified missile 1984-06-06Dashaki19291/68Iraqi missile1984-06-10Kazimah160010/82Unidentified a/c1984-06-24Alexander the Great152372/73 Iraqi Exocet missile 1984-06-27Tiburón125389/73 Iraqi missile 1984-07-01Al Kabeer16575/65 Iraqi a/c1984-07-01Sitia Venture15991/66Iraqi a/c1984-07-01Alexandra Dyo13316/69Iraqi a/c1984-07-02Won Jin6164/74 Iraqi missiles1984-07-05Primrose122203/76 Unidentified missiles1984-07-10British Renown122203/76 Iranian a/c1984-08-18Endeavour47310/76 Unidentified missile1984-08-24Amethyst31280/63Unidentified missile1984-08-27Cleo 120880/59Unidentified missile1984-09-11St. Tobias115025/71Unidentified missile1984-09-12Good Wind11525/70Iraqi missile1984-09-16Med Heron60655/77Unidentified missile1984-09-16Royal Colombo74474/75Unidentified missile1984-10-08World Knight114573/75Iraqi missile1984-10-11Jag Pari20991/82Iranian (?) bomb1984-10-12Gaz Fountain23796/69Unidentified missile1984-10-15Sivand108721/71Iraqi a/c

1985 + DateVessel attackedAgentResult Name Flag GRT/Date1985-11-05Canaria151225Iraqi Exocet missile

1986

1987

+ DateVessel attackedAgentResult Name Flag GRT/Date1987-07-24SS BridgetonIranian mine1987-08-10Texaco CaribbeanIranian mine1987-08-15AnitaIranian mine1987-08-30Sanandaj129770/73Iraqi a/c1987-09-01Astro Pegasus42510/75Iranian w/s g/f1987-09-01Bigorange XIV197/56Iraqi a/c1987-09-01Munguia140277/77Iranian PG1987-09-01Star Ray99011/70Iraqi missile1987-09-02Nisshin Maru103099/80Iranian PG1987-09-02Dafni48473/57Iranian boats1987-09-02Diamond Marine101416/74Iranian boats1987-09-02Jolly Rubino19418/78Iranian boats1987-09-02Leonidas Glory3717/73Iranian boats1987-09-09Haven109700/73Iranian PG1987-09-20Khark 2137895/70Iraqi a/c1987-09-20Petroship B25614/75Iranian PG1987-09-20Shirvan41439/79Iraqi a/c1987-09-21Gentle Breeze57462/70Iranian PG1987-09-21Marissa I181/69Iranian mine1987-09-27Coral Cape112825/74Iraqi missile (2)1987-09-27Iran Sepah19702/76Iraqi a/c1987-09-27Merlin110037/71Iraqi missile (2)1987-09-27Shirvan41439/79Iraqi missile 1987-09-29Khark127453/73Iraqi a/c1987-09-29Koriana38629/85Iranian w/s1987-09-30Western City105803/75Iranian PGs1987-10-01Nichiharu Maru120694/73Iranian PGs1987-10-01Johar49635/76Iranian PGs1987-10-01Shenton Bluff150/79Iraqi missile1987-10-02Felicity53226/68Iraqi missile1987-10-02Spic Emerald11712/83Iranian PG1987-10-05Brazil Star77294/72Iraqi a/c1987-10-05Seawise Giant238558/76Iraqi a/c1987-10-05Shining Star128929/71Iraqi missile1987-10-05World Admiral106673/74Iraqi missile1987-10-08Tomoe 85267/86Iranian PG1987-10-10Rova105286/75Iraqi missiles1987-10-12Marianthi M.13006/65Iraqi missile1987-10-13Atlantic Peace43943/83Iranian PG g/f1987-10-14Pegasus I104918/73Iraqi a/c1987-10-15Sungari124085/75Iranian missile1987-10-16Sea Isle City55454/81Iranian missile1987-10-23Prosperventure L.27333/87Iranian PG1987-11-04Taftan141883/73Iraqi a/c1987-11-06Grand Wisdom51121/76Iranian w/s1987-11-11Fortuneship L.118216/75Iraqi GM (3)1987-11-11Liquid Bulk Explorer7060/72Iranian PG1987-11-12Yousef584/84Iraqi a/c1987-11-13Salvital742/76Iraqi GM1987-11-15Lucy36512/86Iranian PG1987-11-16Esso Freeport122967/74Iranian PGs1987-11-16Filikon L.41330/76Iranian PGs1987-11-19Salvenus699/78Iraqi GMs1987-11-20Tabriz41440/80Iraqi a/c1987-11-22Andromeda38627/84Iranian PG1987-11-23Fundulea6253/80Iranian PGs1987-11-23Uni-Master11648/77Iranian w/s1987-11-26Umm al Jathathel47169/83Iranian w/s1987-11-29Khark 4127450/73Iraqi a/c1987-12-02Anax122936/72Iraqi a/c1987-12-04Actinia109567/75Iraqi a/c1987-12-06Estelle Mærsk28010/87Iranian PGs1987-12-06Norman Atlantic42093/73Iranian PGs1987-12-08Alamoot163173/77Iraqi a/c1987-12-09Susangird111287/73Iraqi a/c1987-12-11Tharaleos51372/69Iranian FF1987-12-12Pivot109700/75Iranian FF1987-12-15Mimi M.16246/74Iraqi a/c1987-12-16Taftan141883/73Iraqi a/c1987-12-16World Produce17277/84Iranian PG1987-12-17Island Transporter9714/68Iranian PGs1987-12-18Free Enterprise113780/72Iraqi a/c1987-12-18Happy Kari140227/74Iranian PGs1987-12-18Saudi Splendour125394/75Iranian PG1987-12-19Karama Mærsk167728/77Iranian PGs1987-12-22British Respect136601/74Iraqi a/c1987-12-22Burmah Enterprise231629/78Iraqi a/c1987-12-22Seawise Giant238558/76Iraqi a/c1987-12-22World Petrobras193778/77Iraqi a/c1987-12-22Stena Concordia122199/73Iranian FF1987-12-23Berge Big136364/75Iranian PGs1987-12-25Hyundai No. 711686/78Iranian PGs1987-12-25Nejmat el Petrol12964/64Iranian PGs1987-12-27Stilikon96747/64Iraqi GM1987-12-31Iran Sedaghat4474/71Iraqi a/cdecoy

1988

+ 1988-01-01 to 1988-03-27DateVessel attackedAgentResult Name Flag GRT/Date1988-01-01Alga16134/72Iraqi GM1988-01-10Khark 3137895/71Iraqi a/c1988-01-12United Venture13161/69Iranian GM1988-01-14Petrobulk Pioneer20446/80Iranian w/s1988-01-15Atlantic Charisma23127/87Iranian w/s1988-01-15Igloo Espoo10105/85Iranian PGs1988-01-16Rainbow7589/82Iranian PGs1988-01-22Havpil10977/69Iranian PG1988-01-22Topaz85690/76Iranian PGs1988-01-22Torm Rottina20036/76Iranian PGs1988-01-27Coral Cape112825/74 Iraqi imissile 1988-01-29Khark116404/75 Iraqi a/c 1988-01-29Khark 5138394/75 Iraqi a/c 1988-01-30Mare9111/72 Iranian PGs 1988-02-03Makran16000/74 Iraqi missile 1988-02-03Petrobulk Ruler20505/75 Iranian PG 1988-02-05Tavistock87464/71 Iranian PGs1988-02-07Khark 5138394/75 Iraqi a/c 1988-02-07Diane38241/87 Iranian FF 1988-02-09Shir Kooh140465/73 Iraqi a/c 1988-02-09Veronique38795/76 Iranian FF 1988-02-11Happy Kari38795/76 Iranian PGs1988-02-12Kate Mærsk167207/76 Iraqi a/c 1988-02-15Soleiman1019/84 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-08Tenacity41195/65 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-15Trade Fortitude113950/72 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-18Berge Lord138008/73 Iranian PGs 1988-03-18Kyrnicos41922/67 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-18Maria 222845/80 Iranian PGs 1988-03-18Neptune Subaru22845/80 Iranian PGs 1988-03-19Avaj162028/75 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-19Sanandaj129770/73 Iraqi a/c 1988-03-20Atlantic Peace43943/83 Iranian PGs 1988-03-21Fumi36674/84 Iranian PGs 1988-03-21Iberian Reefer7949/85 Iranian PGs 1988-03-22Havglimt28941/78 Iranian w/s 1988-03-22Stavros G.L.163810/76 Iranian PGs1988-03-23Odysseas H.18876/72 Iranian PGs1988-03-27Jainarayan Vyas15035/75 Iranian PGs