On 22 September 1980, the
Iraqi Air Force launched a surprise airstrike on
Iran, marking the beginning of the
Iran–Iraq War.
Background
Impressed by the success of the
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
Operation Focus during the
Six-Day War, Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein ordered his generals to prepare a pre-emptive strike on the Iranian Air Force, despite the shortcomings of the Iraqi Air Force.
Operation
At noon, 192 Iraqi aircraft took off from various airbases across Iraq and headed east toward Iran. The first planes to reach their targets were
Su-20
The Sukhoi Su-17 (''izdeliye'' S-32) is a variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed for the Soviet military. Its NATO reporting name is "Fitter". Developed from the Sukhoi Su-7, the Su-17 was the first variable-sweep wing aircraft to ent ...
s from
Kirkuk
Kirkuk ( ar, كركوك, ku, کەرکووک, translit=Kerkûk, , tr, Kerkük) is a city in Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located north of Baghdad. The city is home to a diverse population of Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds, ...
Airbase. Bombing the
Hamadan Airbase at 1:45 PM, these aircraft caused some damage to the runway and immediately turned back to avoid being shot down. Within the next few minutes, other Iraqi aircraft reached airbases in
Tabriz,
Dezful,
Bushehr,
Kermanshah,
Ahwaz, and
Sanandaj
Sanandaj (Persian: سنندج, ; ku, سنە, Sine, often romanized as Senneh, is the capital of Kurdistan Province in Iran. With a population of 414,069, Sanandaj is the twenty third largest city in Iran and the second largest Kurdish city. San ...
, but failed to cause significant damage.
[Razoux, p. 23-26.]
At 2:20 PM, five Iraqi
Tu-22 heavy bombers flew over the Iranian capital, Tehran, at very low altitude. They bombed the
Mehrabad International Airport
Mehrabad International Airport ( fa, فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد, ''Foroudgâh-e Beyn Almelali-ye Mehrâbâd'') , is an international airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Prior to the construction of the larger ...
and the air force command's barracks, although the latter missed its target. At 2:30 PM, four
Tu-16 heavy bombers reached the
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
airbase, housing half of the Iranian
Grumman F-14 Tomcat fleet. The aircraft released their bombs but failed to destroy the runway. At 2:40 PM, the last four Tu-22s reached the
Shiraz Airbase, housing the other half of the Iranian F-14s. The bombers targeted the runway and a fuel depot but failed to destroy any aircraft.
[
By the day's end, the results of 250 missions flown were slim, with only four enemy planes destroyed versus five planes lost. The Iranian Air Force emerged from this operation, designed to permanently ground it, unharmed. Most of the craters left by Iraqi bombs were filled during the night. By morning, the principal Iranian air bases were operational again.][
]
See also
* Operation Revenge
* Operation Kaman 99
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iraqi airstrike on Iran, 1980-09-22
Military operations of the Iran–Iraq War in 1980
1980-09-22 airstrike
1980 in aviation
September 1980 events in Asia
Airstrikes in Iran
Attacks on air bases
Attacks on airports in Asia
Attacks on military installations in the 1980s
1980 building bombings
Building bombings in Iran
History of Hamadan province
History of Tabriz
History of Khuzestan province
History of Bushehr province
Kermanshah
History of Kermanshah province
Ahvaz County
Sanandaj County
History of Kurdistan province
1980s in Tehran