First Battle of al - Faw The First Battle of al - Faw ( Operation Dawn 8 ) fought from February 9 - March 20 , 1986 ( with heavy combat operations lasting until early 1988 ) , was a battle of the Iran - Iraq War . The Iranians launched a surprise attack against the Iraqi troops defending the al - Faw Peninsula . The Iraqi units in charge of the defenses were mostly made up of poorly trained Iraqi Popular Army conscripts that collapsed when they were suddenly attacked by the Iranian Pasdaran ( Revolutionary Guard ) forces . In 1986 , Iraq suffered a major loss in the southern region in what is called the ' First Battle of Al Faw ' . The Iranians capitalized on the weakness of the Iraqi defences located at the southernmost tip of the peninsula . On February 9 , Iran launched a successful surprise amphibious assault across the Shatt al Arab and captured the abandoned Iraqi oil port of Al Faw . The occupation of Al Faw , a logistical feat , involved 30 , 000 regular Iranian soldiers who rapidly entrenched themselves . It marked the first time that the Iranians had successfully invaded and occupied Iraqi territory . However , though the important Iraq port of Umm Qasr on the south east corner of the peninsula was threatened , the port never fell during the battle . The Iranians defeated several Iraqi counteroffensives and managed to remain in to their foothold . Prelude . The Iran - Iraq War had been fought for nearly 6 years . While the Iranians had driven the Iraqis off of their soil in 1982 , Iranian efforts to invade Iraq and cause the downfall of the regime of Saddam Hussein had been fruitless . Iran ( which had the 5th most powerful military in the world prior to the Islamic Revolution ) had suffered due to a lack of spare parts and replacement equipment , and relied heavily on human wave attacks and light infantry warfare . Meanwhile , the Iraqs ( especially after 1982 ) were heavily supported by foreign nations , many whom did not want to see an Iranian victory . The war bogged down into a stalemate . In the face of increasing Iraqi armament and manpower , as well as increasing problems on their own side , Iran could no longer rely on outnumbering Iraqi troops . [ 51 ] While the infantry and human wave assaults would remain key to their attacks throughout the war , Iran began to rely more heavily on infiltration and surprise attacks , as a part of limited light infantry warfare [ 50 ] . In contrast to Iraq ' s static defences and heavy armour , Iran began training troops in infiltration , patrolling , night - fighting , marsh warfare , and mountain warfare . [ 51 ] They also began training thousands of Revolutionary Guard commandos in amphibious warfare , [ 75 ] as southern Iraq is marshy and filled with wetlands . Iran used speedboats to cross the marshes and rivers in southern Iraq and landed troops on the opposing banks , where they would dig and set up pontoon bridges across the rivers and wetlands to allow heavy troops and supplies to cross . Transport helicopters were used as well , ferrying troops to the battlefield . [ 51 ] Iran largely focused on infiltrating through areas that were difficult for Iraqi armour , air power , and artillery to be used , such as valleys , the marshes of southern Iraq , and the mountains of northern Iraq . [ 39 ] Iran began to plan for a major offensive . While deceptively making it seem like the attack was to be against the southern Iraqi city of al - Basra ( like most of Iran ' s attacks had been ) , the attack was really aimed at the southern al - Faw peninsula , touching the Persian Gulf , and the only area of Iraq that touched the open ocean . Preparations . The operation was planned by Iran ' s army chief of staff and the Iranian defense minister . It was planned entirely by professional military officers , but the battlefield commanders were a mix of army and Revolutionary Guards . The Iraqis were taken by surprise , as they had not expected the Iranians to be able to land troops on the peninsula . The Iranians hoped to cut off Iraq from the Persian Gulf , making the country landlocked , and threaten Basra from the south . More importantly , Iran hoped to deliver a series of blows against Iraq that would lead to its downfall via attrition warfare . The operation was to be called Operation Valfajr 8 ( Dawn 8 ) Iranian Attack . On 9 February 1986 , the Iranians launched Operation Dawn 8 , in which 100 , 000 troops comprising five Army divisions and 50 , 000 men from the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij advanced in a two - pronged offensive into southern Iraq . [ 20 ] Unlike the earlier offensives , Dawn 8 was planned entirely by professional Army officers , all of whom had begun their careers under the Shah . [ 20 ] The first phase of the Iranian attack was a feint attack , carried out in the vicinity of Basra ( around al - Qurnah ) from February 9 – 14 , attempting to split Iraq ' s 3rd and 7th Corps . Iran ' s northern forces launched human wave attacks , while the southern forces launched an armored attack against the enemy . Both attacks were stopped with heavy Iraqi firepower , and the Iranians suffered 4 , 000 casualties . However , the Iraqis became convinced that this was the main point of attack , and diverted their forces to that sector . Instead , Iran ' s primary objective was Iraq ' s al - Faw peninsula , the only area in Iraq that touched the Persian Gulf . The First Battle of al - Faw began when the Iranians launched a two - pronged amphibious attack against the southern foot of the peninsula on the night of February 10 – 11 . The attack was carried out at night and during poor weather to reduce the Iraqi ' s advantage in armor . The first Iranian attack used frogmen against Umm al - Rasas island across from Khorramshahr of the peninsula . They captured the island , but an Iraqi counterattack recaptured it three days later . Iran ' s second simultaneous attack was aimed at the foot of the peninsula . Using a division size strike force of the Revolutionary Guard ' s amphibious forces on small boats and large LST boats , they landed at six points on the peninsula , after an intense artillery and air bombardment . The Iranians were well supported by artillery and air power during this attack . [ 39 ] Iranian forces drove north along the peninsula almost unopposed , capturing it after only 24 hours of fighting . [ 20 ] [ 21 ] : 240 [ 43 ] The resistance , consisting of several thousand poorly trained soldiers of the Iraqi Popular Army , fled or were defeated , taking 4 , 000 casualties and 1 , 500 becoming prisoners of war . The Iranian strike force overran the peninsula , in 24 hours , and while most of the frontline Iraqis fled , the town of Al - Faw held out until 14 February . The Iraqis had not expected an Iranian attack at this area , assuming that the Iranians were incapable of launching a major amphibious operation . Due to being taken by surprise , and poor weather , the Iraqis were unable to launch a major counterattack , but began to fight back as early as 12 February . Iran quickly in the meantime set up pontoon bridges across the Shatt al - Arab , and rapidly moved 20 , 000 troops from the Basij , Pasdaran , and Regular Army onto the peninsula . To avoid detection by American satellites and Iraqi warplanes , the components of the bridges were welded together underwater during the night . Afterwards , oxygen tanks were strapped to the sides of the bridge , causing it to rise to the surface . [ 12 ] Afterwards they dug in and set up defenses . [ 43 ] Iraqi Counteroffensive . As early as 12 February 1986 , the Iraqis began a counter - offensive to retake al - Faw . However , Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi high command still were convinced that the main Iranian attack was towards Basra , and did not take word of the Iranian capture of al - Faw seriously . There were only two mechanized divisions moved to attack the Iranians at Faw . But soon the Iraqi leadership realized the deception and began to plan accordingly . On 13 – 14 February , the Iraqis organized a hastily planned counterattack . But it was largely an mechanized counterattack with little light infantry , in an area with thick mud and little room to maneuver , and Iraqi air and artillery attacks had were muffled against the muddy terrain . The Iraqis were thus bound to two roads , and they were picked off by Iranian artillery , AH - 1 Cobra helicopters and anti - tank commando units . In desperation , Iraqi aircraft flew as many as 300 combat sorties against the Iranians , but with few targets ( the Iranians forces consisted of dug in infantry , moving only at night and helped by poor weather ) they achieved little effect and lost 15 - 30 aircraft against Iranian air defense ( using Hawk missile s ) for their efforts . Unsurprisingly , the Iraqi counterattack failed after a week of heavy fighting . [ 20 ] [ 43 ] On 24 February 1986 , Saddam sent one of his best commanders , General Maher Abd al - Rashid , and the Republican Guard to begin a new offensive to recapture al - Faw . [ 20 ] The force consisted of Iraq ' s V Corps , with two mechanized divisions . Nevertheless , even the elite of Iraqi troops , while fighting ferociously , used poor tactics and relied on trying to evict the Iranians through sheer brute force . Iraq fired over 600 rounds of ammunition and launched 200 sorties of aircraft every single day , using both high explosive and large quantities of chemical weapons . Their most widely used chemical weapon was mustard gas , which paralyzed Iranian activity on the battlefield , and killed 700 - 1 , 800 immediately . 8 , 000 were stricken , and many more would eventually die afterward . The poison gas may have been the deadliest weapon for the Iraqis fighting the Iranians . Thus a new round of heavy fighting took place . [ 20 ] The Iraqi offensives were supported by helicopter gunships , hundreds of tanks , and a large bombing offensive by the Iraqi Air Force . [ 21 ] : 242 The Iraqis desperately launched head on attacks against the Iranians , who were well armed with anti - tank weapons and made short work of the attackers . The Iraqis were forced to stick to the main roads and rely on their armor for firepower , and even in dryer areas were unable to maneuver . Often , the tanks and infantry failed to cooperate , and the tanks attacked without infantry support , taking massive losses . Iraq ' s infantry also took heavy losses against the more experienced Iranian infantrymen , who were experienced in night warfare . Iraq was losing whole battalion s against the Iranians . Iraqi artillery was ineffective in the marshes , and as Iranian air defenses dispersed and shot down Iraqi observation aircraft , and the shells that landed were muffled in the mud . Iraq used so much ammunition that they faced shortages , and had to scour international markets and place orders from their supports in order to replenish their stocks . They lost another 25 aircraft to Iranian interceptor aircraft ( such as the F - 14 Tomcat ) and air defenses . The only effective weapon Iraq used against the Iranians was poison gas , and even that was dampened somewhat by the muddy ground on the peninsula . To make matters worse for the Iraqis , on March 4 , they suffered another heavy blow when two Iranian F - 5E Tiger II ' s bombed the headquarters of Iraq ' s 5th mechanized division , killing the general and his entire staff . [ 12 ] Iraq attempted to launch a clumsy amphibious attack against the rear of the Iranians , which cost them several more battalions . Iraq had taken such massive losses that they were forced to resort to ordering citizens to donate blood , trying to recruit foreign staff and tourists in hotels , and using city taxis to transport the dead and wounded to morgues and hospitals in Iraq . Facing heavy air losses against the Iranians over Faw , the Iraqi Air Force launched bombing attacks on Iranian civilian and industrial targets as a form of counterattack . Iraqi aircraft did have one notable success on the peninsula though . Iranian helicopters had transported some of their own armor to the peninsula . One of Iran ' s armored columns was hit by Iraqi aircraft , damaging several M - 60 tanks and M - 113 armored personnel carriers . Iraq ' s desperate attempts to retake al - Faw again ended in failure , costing them many tanks and aircraft : [ 20 ] their 15th mechanised division was almost completely wiped out . [ 12 ] The capture of al - Faw and the failure of the Iraqi counter - offensives were blows to the Ba ' ath regime ' s prestige , and led the Gulf countries to fear that Iran might win the war . [ 20 ] Kuwait in particular felt menaced with Iranian troops only 16 km ( 9 . 9 mi ) away , and increased its support of Iraq accordingly . [ 21 ] : 241 Iraq launched another counterattack on 10 March , which was unsuccessful . On March 1986 , the Iranians tried to follow up their success by attempting to take Umm Qasr , which would have severed Iraq from the Gulf and placed Iranian troops on the border with Kuwait . [ 20 ] However , the offensive failed due to Iranian shortages of armor . [ 20 ] Thus as a result , fighting on the peninsula stabilized , and became a stalemate . Aftermath and Impact . The First Battle of al - Faw " officially " ended in March , however heavy combat operations continued on the peninsula until the end of 1986 and even as late as 1988 , with neither side being able to displace the other . The battle bogged down into a World War I - style stalemate in the marshes of the peninsula . [ 39 ] 53 , 000 Iraq troops and an unknown number of Iranian troops were eventually killed in action on the peninsula . [ 39 ] On 3 September , Iran launched Operation Karbala 3 against two Iraqi oil platforms around Umm Qasr and Kuwait ' s Bubiyan Island , the latter of which hosted Iraqi troops . If successful , early warning radar sites on the platform would be destroyed . Iranian amphibious commandos and Revolutionary Guards landed on the first platform ( al - Amayeh ) , defeating the Iraqi troops while Iranian artillery destroyed the second ( al - Bakr ) . Iraq then launched air attacks and drove the Iranians off the al - Amayeh platform . [ 12 ] The occupation of al - Faw placed the city Basra at risk of being attacked , rumors of a final Iranian offensive against Basra proliferated . To help defend itself , Iraq had built impressive fortifications and Iraq devoted particular attention to the southern city of Basra . It built concrete - roofed bunkers , tank - and artillery - firing positions , minefields , and stretches of barbed wire , all shielded by an artificially flooded lake 30 kilometers long and 1 , 800 meters wide . The Iranians put their foothold in the Al Faw peninsula to good use . They used the peninsula as a launch pad for Silkworm missile s which were deployed against shipping and oil terminals in the Persian Gulf , and also against Kuwait , which supported Iraq throughout the war . It gave them a chokehold on any goods and supplies coming up the Shatt al Arab waterway for Iraq . Saddam Hussein vowed to eliminate the Iranians " at all costs , " and in April 1988 the Iraqis succeeded in regaining the Al Faw peninsula during the Second Battle of al - Faw . Bibliography . http : / / www . ndu . edu / press / lib / pdf / saddams - war . pdf http : / / csis . org / files / media / csis / pubs / 9005lessonsiraniraqii - chap08 . pdf http : / / books . google . com / books ? id = tFRP5WvTDWkC & pg = PA217 & lpg = PA217 & dq = Arabs + at + War + first + battle + of + al + faw & source = bl & ots = 4krj7 - 8uMo & sig = S9o7GuZOkLhzIoyecnTWniGPMu4 & hl = en & sa = X & ei = nomJUeShI - XT0wGInIDADg & ved = 0CEMQ6AEwBA # v = onepage & q = Arabs % 20at % 20War % 20first % 20battle % 20of % 20al % 20faw & f = false http : / / books . google . com / books ? id = dUHhTPdJ6yIC & pg = PT894 & lpg = PT894 & dq = Iran + at + war + 1500 - 1988 + first + fao & source = bl & ots = LrQ7L68LHd & sig = Sje4KOfl2574Z3Iy7wPf3ziABlo & hl = en & sa = X & ei = l8mJUY _ KKKbH0AHBwYCwCQ & ved = 0CDMQ6AEwAQ http : / / fmso . leavenworth . army . mil / documents / PF - Iran - Iraq . pdf