Qualla: First Battle of al-Faw

First Battle of al-Faw: Introduction

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Iraq touches the open ocean in exactly one place. The al-Faw peninsula, a flat tongue of mud and marsh jutting into the Persian Gulf at the country's southeastern corner, was the narrow thread connecting Saddam Hussein's regime to the wider world by sea. On the night of February 9, 1986, Iran severed that thread. Operation Dawn 8, one of the most audacious amphibious operations of the Iran-Iraq War, sent thousands of Revolutionary Guard commandos across the Shatt al-Arab river in speedboats and helicopters, catching the Iraqi defenders completely off guard. By morning, Iran held the tip of the peninsula and Iraq's main air control center covering the Gulf. The country was, for all practical purposes, cut off from the ocean.

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First Battle of al-Faw: A War Looking for a Way Forward

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

By early 1986, the Iran-Iraq War had ground on for nearly six years. Iran had pushed the Iraqis off its soil back in 1982, but every attempt to invade Iraq and topple Saddam Hussein's government had failed. The problem was straightforward: Iran could no longer replace its losses....

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First Battle of al-Faw: The Night Crossing

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The deception was essential. Iran made it appear the offensive would target Basra, as most previous attacks had. Instead, the real objective lay farther south: the al-Faw peninsula itself. On the night of February 9, commandos crossed the Shatt al-Arab in speedboats while transpo...

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First Battle of al-Faw: Counterattack and Chemical Weapons

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Iraq's response was ferocious. Republican Guard units launched repeated counterattacks throughout February and into March. When conventional assaults failed to dislodge the Iranians, Iraq turned to chemical weapons. But Iran held. The troops who had crossed the river dug in and a...

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First Battle of al-Faw: Ripples Across the Gulf

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The fall of al-Faw sent shockwaves far beyond the battlefield. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, alarmed that Iran now sat on the doorstep of the Gulf's western shore, sharply increased their financial and material support for Iraq. The regional balance of power had shifted, and neighbori...

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