Persian Gulf

Scope Note

The war between Iran and Iraq lasted for most of the 1980s and involved conflicts over shipping in the Persian Gulf. This practice of attacking each other's shipping vessels, in particular oil tankers, posed a danger to an international economy critically dependent on Gulf oil exports traversing the Straits of Hormuz chokepoint.

For most of the 1980s Iran and Iraq intermittently attacked enemy merchant shipping, oil tankers, and oil production facilities. The first oil tanker sunk, the Neptunia, was hit and sunk in 1985. By 1987, both countries were on equal footing in deploying effective anti-shipping missiles.

International shipping began to feel the effects. Particularly hard hit were Iraq's Gulf neighbors whose shipping began to suffer from Iranian attacks. Kuwaiti authorities felt especially vulnerable and called upon the international community to reflag Kuwaiti vessels as a deterrent to Iranian strikes. The US did not immediately respond, but the continued assault on international shipping and the danger of Iranian actions potentially closing the Straits of Hormuz resulted in a US-led naval intervention in 1987. 

In May 1987 the USS Stark was hit accidently by an Iraqi missile resulting in 37 American deaths. This incident and the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Gulf prompted the Reagan Administration to place US Navy forces in the Gulf. In addition, the US began reflagging Kuwaiti ships as American vessels and escorted them up and down the Persian Gulf.

American intervention ultimately helped contain Iranian anti-shipping activities, ensured freedom of movement for international shipping in the Gulf and pressured Tehran to seek peace with its neighbor. However, US involvement was not smooth, as the Iranians use of anti-shipping mines proved a challenge. The Persian Gulf clash between the US and Iran resulted in the mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, the sinking by US forces of Iranian frigates, and the accidental shoot down of an Iranian civilian airliner.

The other consequence of the US involvement in the Persian Gulf was an increased Congressional call for declaring the conflict a violation of the 1973 War Powers Act. Congressional hearings were held, but not resolution was reached. The complaints became moot as the Iraq-Iran conflict came to a close in 1988.

This topic guide covers material from 1986-January 20, 1989, with a concentration on the final two years of the Reagan Administration, 1987-January 20, 1989. For more information within our holdings available for research use, please see the Iran-Iraq War topic guide, the Iran topic guide or the Iraq topic guide.