| War in Iran | |
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| Clockwise from top-left: a U.S. soldier acting as sniper support for other troops; Iran tests six of its ballistic missiles; the remains of a Tel Aviv district after a ballistic missile rocked the Israeli city; a U.S. ship in the Persian Gulf; several U.S. soldiers during an operation in Tehran; a view from a hilltop showing the Battle of Tehran. | |
| Date |
February 3, 2012 - May 20, 2012 (2 months, 46 days) |
| Location | Iran |
| Result |
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| Belligerents | |
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Coalition:
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Islamic Republic of Iran Army
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The War in Iran, also known as the Conflict of Hormuz, was a large military conflict that began on February 3rd, 2012 after Iranian Navy forces assaulted several United States ships in the Persian Gulf before blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
The preludes to the war were the various sanctions that were put on Iran by the United States and Iran's nuclear program. The sanctions led to growing tensions between Iran and the United States, and as a result, Iran brandished their nuclear arms against the world.
As the sanctions continued, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, which would deal damage to the world's crude oil supply. This led to an intense stand-off between American Navy ships and Iran forces in the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials previously warned that if the United States sent their ships into the Persian Gulf, there would be consequences-- and they were right. On February 2, 2012, the USS Quentin was struck by a missile fired from one of Iran's ships. Before the ships' commanders could react, multiple missiles were fired at the American ships, which ultimately paved the way for war between the two nations.
Pre-war Events[]
Saudi-Iran War[]
Main article: Saudi-Iran War
Iran was already at war with Saudi-Arabia before the United States Navy arrived in the Persian Gulf that led to the stand-off and subsequent naval battle. The Saudi-Iran conflict began as a result of Iran's assassination of Saudi prince Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud, an act which was heavily condemned by multiple nations around the world. Subsequently, the new king placed a massive embargo on Iran, depriving Iran of supplies such as oil. Iran responded with a warning stating that Saudi Arabia has a week to remove the embargo or there will be grave consequences. Saudi Arabia does not heed this warning, and as a result, Iran attacks one of Saudi Arabia's oil fields, which culminates in a war between the two nations. The first major attack of the war was against a Saudi-Arabian ship that resulted in 111 casualties.
2012 Paris nerve gas attack[]
Main article: 2012 Paris nerve gas attack
On January 28, 2012, Paris was the target of a massive nerve gas attack which left over 900 people dead. The alleged culprits were Iran due to the growing hostilities between the country and other nations, but it was a shock when the terror group al-Qaeda announced that they were responisble for the attack. The group did not give a motive as to why they did this.
Course of the war[]
Persian Gulf Standoff[]
On January 3, 2012, Iran officials stated that the nation will shut down the Strait of Hormuz if the United States continues to put more sanctions on them. The U.S. did not heed this warning and instead sent naval ships to the Persian Gulf in case Iran would stay true to their word. The result was a very tense stand-off that lasted for roughly a month. During that tense month, the United States attempted to talk with Iran, but the two did not reach agreements.
Incident in the Persian Gulf[]
On February 2, 2012, Iran proceeds to close the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. ships attempt to stop the Iranian vessels, but they are quickly destroyed by missiles fired from the Gulf of Oman. The United States sees this as an act of war by Iran and President Obama addresses the congress, pleading with them to allow the use of military force against Iran. Congress deliberated for a day before coming back with a confirmation. Obama then signs the declaration of war against Iran in the Oval Office.
Operation Pacemaker[]
On February 5, 2012, the United States launched a massive attack on Tehran with the Allied Coalition forces piggybacking on the assault. The invasion began after U.S. forces met with the Coalition in Afghanistan, which consisted of Saudi Arabia, Australia, Israel, India, Japan and South Korea. As the invasion began, the Coalition forces were joined by NATO troopers and several other nations such as Jordan and Qatar.
Operation Chain Reaction[]
On February 7, 2012, the U.S. government began talks with Israel and other allied nations to start a joint operation involving the destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities. Operation Chain Reaction was launched on February 9, 2012 and spanned over the months of March and May, and was a major factor in Iran's defeat.
Iran invades Tel Aviv[]
On March 23, 2012, Iranian forces launched a massive assault on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.