Dr. Tracy Samuel recently appeared on “The War Office” Podcast to discuss the origins of the Iran-Iraq War.
As the current conflict with Iran drags on, we should always be conscious of the historical roots of our contemporary problems. This summer, UTC’s own Dr. Annie Tracy Samuel was a featured guest on “The War Office,” as they dove into the history of the Iran-Iraq conflict of the 1980s. Interrogating what caused the war, the podcast examined how simmering tensions erupted in September 1980. Disputes over control of the Shatt al-Arab river, and thus access to the Persian Gulf for Iraq, had long been a source of contention. Political upheaval in both countries created the conditions for war. Years of back and forth negotiations between the governments of the Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the military controlled government of Iraq had done little to calm tensions. The rise of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the 1979 Iranian Revolution led to a more hostile relations especially since foreign influence in the region had decreased. Saddam Hussein had hoped that the upheavals of the Iranian revolution had weakened his neighbour and that a war with limited objectives would be over quickly. Despite early Iraqi success, the Iran–Iraq War devolved into one of the longest and most destructive conflicts of the late 20th century.
As part of the episode, Dr. Tracy Samuel provided expert historical analysis of the conflict, its origins, and its repercussions. We highly encourage you to check out the episode here.
Each episode of the War Office Podcast explores the most important military history events, battles, and people from the Second World War to the present day. Each episode features dramatic storytelling, expert guest historians, and atmospheric soundscapes. This is frontline detail like you’ve never heard before.
Congrats to Dr. Tracy Samuel!