AH Challenge: An Iran-Iraq War - in the early '70s

MrHola

Banned
So, is there a plausible way we can cause a war between Iraq and Iran in the early seventies? Bonus points if Iraq is the agressor.
 
The only way I see it happening is if Iraq sends more troops to fight in the Yom Kippar War, which lasts longer than in OTL, and then the Shah uses that as an opportunity to grab territory and oil fields.
 
There was a four-day border war in 1975, which the Iranians won due to the IIAF taking care of business before the Iranian Army was able to deploy. Now, if the Iraqis got a case of the stupids (as was Saddam's habit) and attacked before the Revolution really got out of hand (from the Shah's POV), there would've been a "rally 'round the flag" effect similar to what happened when the Iraqis did attack in 1980, only the Shah would've been the benefactor instead of the Mullahs. The Shah's military was much more professionally run and had very competent leadership (unlike in 1980-81), and would have given the Iraqis a severe mauling before taking the war to Iraq. Just as the 1980 Iraqi attack propped up Khomeni's regime, a hypothetical one in late '78 or January of '79 would have saved the Shah's. End result is that the Iranians would have done away with the Baathist government in Baghdad by late '79 or early '80, with Cheftain and M-60 tanks rolling into Baghdad a la the M-1A1s of the 3rd ID and 1 MEF in 2003.
 
So, is there a plausible way we can cause a war between Iraq and Iran in the early seventies? Bonus points if Iraq is the agressor.

( reheated from the VBY-1973 timeline )

06-30-1973

President al-Bakr of Iraq is killed during a failed coup attempt. Vice President Saddam Hussein manages to retain power, and has the plotters executed.

1973-10-23

On the first morning after Ramadan, Iraq launches a surprise invasion of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein has been planning this since he took power earlier in the year, using an ongoing border dispute as justification. Within twenty four hours, three Iraqi divisions have completely routed Kuwaiti forces and forced the Emir to flee to Saudi Arabia.

1973-10-24

The United States, the USSR, and the Arab League all simultaneously condemn Iraq's opportunist attack on Kuwait. Saddam is unmoved.

U.S. forces go to DEFCON 3 status. A carrier group, led by the USS Hancock, is dispatched towards the Persian Gulf.

Iran quickly redeploys all available forces to defend the Iraqi border.

1973-11-18 A war-weary Congress refuses to declare war against Iraq.

1973-11-24 The President initiates Plan B: a joint US-Iranian operation, with U.S. forces from the 82nd Airborne and 3rd MEF clearing out Kuwait and parts of the Shatt-al-Arab during the timespan allowed by the War Powers Act, followed by Iranian occupation.
 
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