Soviet Union during the Iran–Iraq War

The policy of the Soviet Union towards the Iran–Iraq War from 1980 to 1988 varied, beginning with a stance of strict neutrality before moving towards massive military support for Iraq in the final phase of the war. The war was inconvenient for the Soviet Union, which had aimed to ally itself with both Iran and Iraq. At the start of the war, the Soviets declared a policy of strict neutrality towards the two countries, while urging a negotiated peace. Iraq had been an ally for decades, and the Soviets had tried to win over Iran as well, but both the pro-Western Shah and later Ayatollah Khomeini rebuffed their offers of friendship. After the Iranian Revolution, the Islamic Republic adopted the slogan "neither East nor West."

In 1982, the war turned in Iran's favor, and Khomeini pledged not to stop the conflict until he had overthrown Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. This prospect was unacceptable to the Soviet Union, which resumed arms sales to Iraq while maintaining an official policy of neutrality. The Soviets also feared that Saddam would potentially become an ally of the West, which at the time also supported his regime in the war. After further Iranian gains in 1986, the Soviet Union massively increased its military aid to Iraq. The Soviets were increasingly afraid that the Iranians were encouraging an Islamic revolution in Central Asia. Soviet aid allowed the Iraqis to mount a massive counteroffensive, which brought the war to an end in August 1988.