Atlas of Battles

campaign, notable, Cold War

Operation Mersad

Operation Mersad was a campaign fought in 1988 at Khuzestan Province, in what is now Iran. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Khuzestan Province. It was part of the Iran–Iraq War, which ran from 1980 to 1988. The recorded result: Iranian victory; Defeat of the Mojahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK); 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners.

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Fought1988
WhereKhuzestan Province, Iran31.327N, 48.694E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeIranian victory; Defeat of the Mojahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK); 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners
BelligerentsMojahedin-e-KhalqagainstIran
Part ofIran–Iraq War1980 to 1988

Where it sits in the Iran–Iraq War

Battle of Khorramshahr, 1980Operation Kaman 99, 1980Operation Scorch Sword, 1980Operation Dezful, 1980Siege of Abadan, 1980Operation Morvarid, 1980Battle of Dezful, 1981Attack on H3, 1981Bombing of Dowletu Prison, 1981Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh, 1981Operation Tariq al-Qods, 1981Operation Undeniable Victory, 1982Liberation of Khorramshahr, 1982Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas, 1982Operation Dawn 2, 1983Operation Dawn 3, 1983Operation Dawn 5, 1984Tankers War, 1984Battle of the Marshes, 1984War of the Cities, 1984Operation Badr, 1985chemical attack on Behbahan battalion, 1986Operation Dawn 8, 1986First Battle of al-Faw, 1986Battle of Mehran, 1986Aerial bombardment of the industries of Arak city, 1986Operation Karbala-2, 1986Operation Fath 1, 1986Bombing of Andimeshk, 1986Operation Karbala-4, 1986Aerial bombing of Chavar football ground, 1987Siege of Basra, 1987Operation Nasr 4, 1987Chemical bombing of Sardasht, 1987Operation Earnest Will, 1987Operation Prime Chance, 1987Operation Nimble Archer, 1987Kermanshah park shelter bombing, 1988Operation Ramadan ul-Mubarak, 1988Operation Forty Stars, 1988Operation Mersad, 198819801988Operation Mersad, 1988
45 placed engagements of the Iran–Iraq War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1988 (year precision)
to 1988
PlaceKhuzestan Province, Iran
31.327N, 48.694E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Territorial changeStatus quo ante bellum; The Shatt al-Arab and other disputed territories along the border (3000sq.km) remain under unilateral Iraqi control until 16 August 1990 when both parties signed a formal peace agreement, after which Iraq and Iran re-ratified the 1975 Algiers Agreement.
Strength7,000 MEK troops; 300 tanks; unknown number of artillery pieces and aircraft210,000 Iranian forces engaged; 1,200,000 total; 365 tanks; unknown number of artillery pieces and aircraft
Casualties and losses1,500 to 2,506 KIA (Iranian claim); 1,263 KIA, WIA, MIA, POW (MEK claim); 2,000 KIA (independent estimate); several thousand hanged for treason; 200 Tanks destroyed (Iranian claim); 400 APCs; 90 pieces of 80mm mortar; 150 pieces of 60mm mortar; 30 pieces of 106mm recoilless rifles480 KIA (Iranian claim)
Commanders
  • Massoud Rajavi
Operation MersadOperation MersadBattle of DezfulOperation Tariq al-QodsSiege of ShushtarBattle of HormozdganBombing of Ahvaz-Tehran passenger trainBattle of DezfulOperation Tariq al-QodsSiege of ShushtarBattle of HormozdganBombing of Ahvaz-Tehran passenger trainBasraAbadanAl AmarahDezfulBehbehanAz Aubayr100 km31.327N, 48.694E
Placed at Khuzestan Province; the exact site is not recorded. 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 1988

Operation Mersad is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 189 in present-day Iran.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2059536, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Mersad, revision 1382176976, read 2026-11-15, 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.