The Joint Operation Arvand ( fa, عملیات مشترک اروند, more known by its Persian acronym AMA, ) was a show of force operation orchestrated in April 1969 by the

Imperial Iranian Armed Forces The Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, are the combined military forces of Iran, comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (''Arteš''), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (''Sepâh'') and the Law Enforcement Force (Police). Iran ...

following Iraqi claim for the sovereign right to Shatt al-Arab/Arvand Rud and threatening to block passage of vessels unless they fly the

Iraqi flag The flag of Iraq ( ar, علم العراق Kurdish languages: الله اكبر) includes the three equal horizontal red, white, and black stripes of the Pan-Arab colors, Arab Liberation flag, with the phrase "Allahu Akbar, God is the greatest" ...

. On 22 April 1969, Iranian merchant ship ''Ebn-e-Sina'', carrying a cargo of steel beams and flying

Iranian flag The national flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, پرچم ایران, Parčam-e Irân, ), also known as the tricolor ( fa, پرچم سه‌رنگ ایران, Parčam-e se rang-e Irân, link=no, ), is a tricolour comprising equal ho ...

, was escorted by Iranian heavily armed naval vessels, as well as jet fighters and proceeded through the river into the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

, in an 80-mile journey which took about six hours. However, the Iraqi forces did not attempt to respond as it pledged. Both countries strengthened their land forces along the river bank, stationing artillery, tanks and anti-aircraft weapons. Iranian troops were positioned in the vicinity of

Khorramshahr Khorramshahr ( fa, خرمشهر , also Romanization, romanized as ''Khurramshahr'', ar, المحمرة, romanized as ''Al-Muhammerah'') is a city and capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population wa ...

and Abadan, while Iraq put its forces in

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

on alert. Iranian freighter ''Arya Far'' passed through the river escorted by four gunboats three days later, with no disturbance.

References

Wars involving Iran Wars involving Iraq Iran–Iraq relations 20th-century conflicts Conflicts in 1969 {{iraq-hist-stub