Why is Israel's attack on Iran being called biggest in region since it's war with Iraq? What happened then?

On Friday, Israel launched what is being described as its most expansive and consequential attack on Iranian soil in recent history — targeting nuclear and military installations deep within the Islamic Republic.

Explosions rocked Tehran as Israel stated it was aiming at facilities tied to Iran’s controversial nuclear programme.

Among the fatalities reported by Iranian state media were senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the head of Iran’s missile programme and two top nuclear scientists.

This major offensive has quickly escalated the longstanding shadow conflict between the two regional powers into a more direct and dangerous confrontation.

In response, Iran reportedly deployed over 100 drones towards Israeli territory, most of which were intercepted. Military operations in Iran were still reported to be underway as of Friday afternoon.

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Israeli officials have framed the attack as a preventive measure against Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities. “The attack was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb,” an Israeli leader stated, as Iran’s uranium enrichment approaches levels considered dangerously close to weapons-grade.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes — a position also echoed in past assessments by US intelligence, which have found no definitive evidence of Iran building a weapon.

Talks involving US and Iranian officials, intended to resume shortly, may now be jeopardised.

The Israeli strikes are described by observers as the most substantial assault on Iranian soil since the devastating Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.

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What was the Iran-Iraq War?

The reference to the Iran-Iraq war reflects the magnitude of Israel’s latest operation. That war, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, was one of the most protracted and destructive interstate conflicts of the late 20th century.

It began when Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded western Iran, citing border disputes and fears of revolutionary influence spreading from Iran’s new theocratic leadership.

Underlying the conflict were deep-rooted tensions over territorial control, particularly over the Shaṭṭ al-ʿArab waterway — a crucial maritime route for oil exports — and fears of Iran exporting its revolutionary ideology into Iraq’s Shiite majority population.

These factors, compounded by the recent upheaval of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, created a volatile regional atmosphere that Saddam Hussein exploited to assert dominance and reclaim previously conceded territories.

The war’s early stages saw Iraq capturing key Iranian cities such as Khorramshahr, though their offensive stalled due to unexpectedly strong Iranian resistance.

In 1981, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard emerged as a decisive military force, reversing some of Iraq’s gains. By 1982, Iran had reclaimed lost territory and began its own incursions into Iraqi land, pushing the war into a prolonged stalemate.

How did the Iran-Iraq war end?

Despite Iraq’s initial advances, the conflict soon devolved into years of trench warfare, failed offensives and human wave attacks.

Iran, under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, refused ceasefire offers and continued its military campaigns in Iraq, aiming to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

Both sides engaged in sustained air and missile strikes on urban centers and oil infrastructure.

The “Tanker War” phase that began in 1984 had global repercussions, with both nations attacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. These actions eventually prompted intervention by Western naval forces to safeguard energy routes.

By the mid-1980s, Iraq had rebuilt a large and technologically advanced military, heavily funded by Gulf Arab states and supported logistically and diplomatically by powers including the United States, the Soviet Union and France.

Iraq also developed chemical weapons, which it employed against both Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians.

The turning point came in 1988. Iraq’s chemical weapons campaign, most notably the Halabjah attack which killed thousands of civilians, and military advances into Iranian territory prompted Iran to reconsider its position.

Weary from years of war, casualties, and economic strain, Iran accepted United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, bringing the war to a formal ceasefire in August 1988.

What was the toll of the Iran-Iraq war?

The toll of the war was staggering. Estimates of casualties range from one million to two million, with at least half a million believed to have died.

Iran is thought to have suffered the highest number of losses. The conflict left both countries economically battered, with combined financial damages surpassing one trillion US dollars.

Despite the prolonged fighting, the war concluded without significant territorial changes or reparations. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Iraq were not fully restored until 1990, with the final exchange of prisoners of war occurring as late as 2003.

The recent Israeli strike on Iran is being measured against the scale and impact of the Iran-Iraq war due to its significance.

As Israel asserts that the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from achieving nuclear weapon capability, and Iran retaliates through drone warfare, the current scenario brings back the spectre of broader confrontation.

Just as the 1980s war reshaped alliances in the region, this modern-day escalation could similarly alter the strategic calculus in West Asia.

With inputs from agencies