Atlas of Battles

siege, notable, Cold War

Siege of Abadan

Siege of Abadan was a siege conducted on 6 November 1980 at Abadan, in what is now Iran; it lasted 11 months. It was part of the Iran–Iraq War, which ran from 1980 to 1988. The recorded result: Iranian victory; Iraqi siege broken. Recorded strength: 4,500 men initially; 60,000 men at peak; 360–800 tanks against 6,000–15,000 men; 50–60 tanks initially.

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Exploded tank, remains as symbol of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).
Exploded tank, remains as symbol of Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988).. Sasanjan at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought6 November 1980lasted 11 months
WhereAbadan, Iran30.333N, 48.283E
OutcomeIranian victory; Iraqi siege broken
BelligerentsIraqagainstIran
Part ofIran–Iraq War1980 to 1988

Where it sits in the Iran–Iraq War

Battle of Khorramshahr, 1980Operation Kaman 99, 1980Operation Scorch Sword, 1980Siege of Abadan, 1980Operation Morvarid, 1980Battle of Dezful, 1981Attack on H3, 1981Operation Tariq al-Qods, 1981Liberation of Khorramshahr, 1982Operation Dawn 2, 1983Operation Dawn 3, 1983Operation Dawn 5, 1984Battle of the Marshes, 1984War of the Cities, 1984First Battle of al-Faw, 1986Battle of Mehran, 1986Siege of Basra, 1987Operation Earnest Will, 198719801987Siege of Abadan, 1980
18 placed engagements of the Iran–Iraq War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date6 November 1980
to 27 September 1981
PlaceAbadan, Iran
30.333N, 48.283E
KindSiege, Cold War
Strength4,500 men initially; 60,000 men at peak; 360–800 tanks6,000–15,000 men; 50–60 tanks initially
Casualties and losses1,500 casualties; Hundreds of armored vehicles destroyed3,000 casualties; 170+ tanks destroyed
Commanders
Siege of AbadanSiege of AbadanLiberation of KhorramshahrBattle of KhorramshahrBattle of BasraFirst Battle of al-FawFao LandingLiberation of KhorramshahrFirst Battle of al-FawFao LandingKuwait CityAhvazAz AubayrAl Jahra100 km30.333N, 48.283E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1980

Siege of Abadan is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 157 in present-day Iran.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q815104, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Abadan, revision 1374121777, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.