The Iran-Iraq War commenced as Iraqi forces crossed into Iranian territory on a quest for dominance over the Shatt al-Arab waterway, a vital route for oil exports. Following a decade of rising tensions and border disputes, the war was fueled by ideological differences between the secular, Arab nationalist regime in Iraq and the theocratic, Shiite Islamic government in Iran, which emerged after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Saddam Hussein sought to capitalize on the chaos in Iran, believing the new regime to be vulnerable. The initial invasion saw rapid advances by Iraqi forces; however, the Iranian military quickly regrouped and launched counter-offensives that led to a protracted and bloody stalemate. The conflict rapidly escalated, involving extensive use of trench warfare reminiscent of World War I, chemical weapons by Iraq, and attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The war resulted in immense human suffering and economic disruption, with estimates of fatalities reaching up to a million people, and even greater numbers injured or displaced. On the battlefield, neither side could secure a decisive victory, and both nations faced severe economic challenges, leading to diplomatic efforts to cease hostilities. The war concluded in 1988 with a United Nations-brokered ceasefire, but it left a legacy of bitterness and instability in the region. The conflict not only decimated the populations and economies of both nations but also set the stage for future confrontations in the Middle East, shaping regional politics for decades.