Just to remind you, in a couple of episodes we talked about different dimensions of the great Kheibar Operation. This time we are going to touch upon the political and regional dimensions of the operation.

Saddam's supporters in the region and the world, after each operation by the Iranian brave combatants, were worried about the tilting of equation to the benefit of the Islamic Republic of Iran. For this reason, they multiplied their political, military and economic supports for Saddam's regime. As in the diplomatic field, Saddam always tried to present himself as part of the Arab community and use the capacity of the Arab countries against Iran. Most of the Arab regimes were infuriated at Iran's Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in the country which created a serious challenge to their undemocratic and unpopular rule and was going to turn into a role model for their people. Thus, many Arab countries had enough motive to support Iraq and exert their utmost to prevent Iran from winning the war. Successive operations on the Iraqi soil gave them more incentive to stay with Iraq.

After the great Kheibar operation, Iraq held a conference in Baghdad with the presence of foreign ministers from 18 Arab countries on March 15, 1984. They issued a statement to the benefit of Saddam and against Iran. Another political development after Kheibar operation was the direct cooperation of the MKO terrorists under the leadership of Masoud Rajavi. The terrorist organization martyred over 17,000 citizens, political and military officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The leaders of this terrorist organization fled the country after being exposed to the people and took refuge with the French regime. In early March, 1984, the trip of Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz to France and his meeting with MKO ringleader, Masoud Rajavi, caused a change in employment of the terrorist outfit to fight alongside Iraqi forces against Iran.

Earlier, the MKO terrorists were engaged in gathering information inside Iran and spying for the Iraqi regime, as well as carrying out terrorist operations against officials and people in Iran. But in the new phase, in addition to continuing terrorist activities in Iran, the MKO terrorists decided to shape a military faction to act as the pawns of the Ba'athist army to enter the battlefields against Iran. By the end of Kheibar operation, targeting of Iranian cities and villages were stopped by Iraq for almost one month and a half. But from early April 1984, Saddam spread the war to residential areas as well as to the Persian Gulf. Hence, a new phase began called "War of the Cities" and "Tankers War". Three Iraqi bombers attacked the houses of people in Piranshahr, Western Azerbaijan province on Wednesday, April 23, 1984, using Napalm fire bombs. As a result, 40 houses were destroyed, 17 people were martyred and 44 others were wounded. During a meeting with the commanders, Imam Khomeini expressed dissatisfaction at the damage caused to the people of the cities of Iran and Iraq by air strikes. Three Iraqi planes dropped cluster bombs on the people of Baneh city, who were demonstrating on the anniversary of June 5 uprising. More than 300 were martyred and 300 others were injured. Hundreds of civilians were also martyred and injured in attacks on the cities of Masjed Soleiman, Gilan-e Gharb, Nahavand and Dezful.

By March 1984, the Iraqi attacks focused on oil facilities and the wharfs of the Khark Island. The regime of Saddam was intended to disrupt or reduce Iran's oil exports. Thus, the Iraqi air force expanded its operational range up to the north of Qatar. The main purpose of Iraq in attacking oil installations was to deprive Iran of oil revenues. Receiving 5 Super Étendard aircrafts from France, along with $1 million Exocet anti-ship missiles, enhanced the Iraqi navy's power in April 1984. The aircrafts were delivered to the Iraqi army with pilot and technical crew. The sale of these arms and aircrafts was very lucrative for France. It is said that during the Iraqi-imposed war against Iran, the Iraqi air force fired 1,200 Exocet missiles. The Iraqi attacks on ships and oil terminals of Khark Island caused troubles for oil exports, but Iran continued to export oil though the transfer of oil was very costly. As a few goals of the large-scale operations such as Ramadan, Kheibar and the serial operations of Val-Fajr were not fully attained, military commanders concluded that along with planning for large-scale, regular operations with organized military units, they had to create a front for carrying out irregular operations with the help of the Iraqis who were opposed to the Ba'athist regime.

Accordingly, Ramadan base was formed in June, 1984 concurrent with the blessed month of Ramadan. Meanwhile, in order to better organize the Iraqi mujahidin, a unit known as Imam Sadeq brigade was formed which later merged with the Badr division, consisting of Iraqi mujahidin opposing Saddam. Thus, the Iraqi mujahidin joined the corps from different brigades and divisions in Iran and were stationed in Tabur region alongside Hur al-Hoveizeh. After a while, Ismail Daqayeqi assumed the command of the Badr corps. This brave commander was martyred in Karbala 5 operation in 1986.

Ramadan base was formed by the IRGC to get information on the situation in northern Iraq as well as to plan operations against the Ba'athist forces in the area. The headquarters was planning to organize operations in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and open up a new front within the Iraqi territory against Saddam's regime. With the support of Kurdish groups in northern Iraq, the base was able to create an IRGC-Peshmerga organization and gradually plan operations. The Ramadan base went around the city of Sulaymaniyah with the help of the units under its command and along with the Kurdish Peshmerga and was settled in the northern heights of Sulaymaniyah. The Ramadan base managed to move its forces to Kirkuk. During the eight-year war, in addition to the Iraqi mujahidin, more than 3,000 Iraqi prisoners who had changed their mind towards Saddam and joined the opponents of Saddam, joined the Badr corps combatants. A number of these forces were martyred in the war against Saddam's army. Concurrent with the operations of Ramadan base, plans for regular war with the Ba'athist army continued on different fronts. Therefore, the Ramadan base was organized as a powerful stronghold against the Ba'athist army and turned into an axis of operation against Saddam's regime.

FK/RM/ME