The 1980 Invasion and Today’s Bombing Campaigns
In February 1,980, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq launched a full-scale invasion of Iran, framing it as a crusade to “liberate” the Islamic Republic from its revolutionary government. Decades later, the United States and Israel have adopted a strikingly similar approach, launching a bombing campaign against Iran under the guise of “supporting freedom.” Both conflicts began with the same delusional logic: that foreign aggression could ignite domestic rebellion. The 1980 invasion devastated Iran’s cities, with Iraqi forces targeting civilian infrastructure, a tactic now replicated by U.S.
and Israeli airstrikes. The parallels are stark—both campaigns rely on the assumption that bombing will force the target population to rise against their own government. Yet, as the author recalls, this strategy has always been a fantasy.
The author’s 20-year-old self in 1980 witnessed the first wave of destruction as Iraqi warplanes bombed Tehran’s neighborhoods. The chaos of that era—checkpoints, fear, and the loss of loved ones—mirrors the current crisis, where Iranian civilians face the same existential threats. The war’s logic remains unchanged: attack the state, provoke rebellion, and hope for collapse.
The Author’s 1980 Experience and the Illusion of Liberation
As a student at Tehran Polytechnic University, the author lived through the Iran-Iraq war’s brutal realities. In October 1980, Iraqi air defenses shattered the night sky, killing friends and families. The author’s friend Farhad was presumed dead after a bombing, a tragedy that underscored the war’s indiscriminate violence.
The author’s second encounter with war came weeks later, when an Iraqi bomber dropped leaflets urging Iranians to overthrow their government. The message was clear: Saddam’s forces were not liberators but manipulators, exploiting chaos to advance their own agenda. The author and their peers recognized the deception, rejecting the idea that foreign invaders could become their saviors.
This moment crystallized a critical truth: the war was not about liberating Iran but about destabilizing it. The author’s opposition group chose to weaponize the conflict, using it to challenge the Islamic Republic’s rule. Yet, the state’s ability to mobilize millions against the invasion proved that such strategies were doomed to fail.
The Consequences of Indiscriminate Bombing and the State’s Resilience
The Islamic Republic’s survival in 1980, despite massive destruction, revealed the futility of bombing campaigns. The state’s ability to consolidate power through repression and mobilization ensured its grip on Iran, even as millions suffered. Today, the same dynamic plays out: U.S.
and Israeli strikes have failed to destabilize the regime, instead deepening its resolve. The current war’s asymmetry—air strikes without ground troops—heightens its brutality. Unlike the 1980 conflict, which had defined battlefronts, today’s bombings target civilians indiscriminately, eroding trust in both the state and foreign aggressors.
The author notes that Iranians now face a war not against a foreign army but against the erosion of their sovereignty. The Trump-Netanyahu alliance’s strategy has been exposed as a war crime, with no clear path to regime collapse. The Islamic Republic, having weathered past crises, continues to tighten its grip, while the bombing campaign’s human toll underscores the moral bankruptcy of such tactics.
Conclusion
The author’s reflections on 1980 and today’s bombing campaigns reveal a grim truth: no amount of aerial bombardment can replace the will of a people to resist oppression. The illusion that foreign aggression can topple a state has been debunked for decades, yet it persists. As the war drags on, the cost to civilians remains the same, and the world order continues to crumble under the weight of such delusions
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