Well away from major land battlefields of the Iran-Iraq War, and curious
eyes of the public, the navies of the two involved parties fought a
major naval war. Ironically, the mass of their efforts remain entirely
unknown until this very day. If anything was ever reported about their
naval battles, then only within the frame of what the West mis-declared
into the 'Tanker War'.
Actually, and although best-known in the West, the portion of the
Iran-Iraq War related to the Iraqi effort to prevent foreign tankers
from loading the crude at Iranian oil terminals at Khark and elsewhere,
was only one aspect of this naval war: indeed, 'just one brick' in an
entire 'wall' that can only be described as the 'oil war' between Iran
and Iraq. While the 'most spectacular', or at least attracting most of
public attention, attacks by fighter-bombers of the Iraqi Air Force on
tankers exporting the Iranian oil were 'barely scratching the surface':
at least as often the Iraqi Navy trying exactly the same, but with help
of its helicopters, fast missile craft and mines. In turn, the Islamic
Republic of Iran Navy deployed its warships and helicopters - supported
by interceptors and fighter-bombers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air
Force - to run a massive and convoy-protecting operation: the largest of
its kind since 1945. The result were the most intensive air-sea battles
of the last 75 years - all characterized by their high speed and
exchanges of massive blows.
The Iran-Iraq Naval War describes and illustrates the key combatants
and the most intense operations of both sides. Destroyers, frigates,
corvettes, and fast missile crafts are all covered in thoroughly
researched text, photographs and custom-drawn color profiles, as are
aircraft and helicopters supporting them. This book is thus taking the
taking the reader in the middle of the action at sea and in the skies
above it.
