Part 2/10:
The catalyst of the war is often traced back to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which swept away the pro-Western Shah and installed a radical Islamic regime led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This shift transformed Iran from a U.S. ally into a country with a starkly anti-American stance that could destabilize the region. Tensions erupted with Iraq, predominantly a secular nation under Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party—a regime composed primarily of Sunni Muslims, despite Iraq being home to a significant Shia majority and a notable Kurdish population. Saddam viewed the disarray in Iran, characterized by the revolutionary fervor and weakened military leadership, as an opportunity to assert Iraq’s dominance in the Persian Gulf.