During the World War I era, many major powers viewed controlling oil fields as a crucial military asset, due to many new vehicles(ships, tanks, cars, trucks, planes, etc.) which relied on the use of oil to operate. These major powers also knew that oil would become very popular outside the war community and would become a fundamental aspect in the economic strengthening of those who controlled it. German and British oil companies negotiated joint ownership of the Turkish Petroleum Company which would produce oil in Mesopotamia(now know as Iraq). A little while later the first world war broke out. Britain knew oil would be crucial and the Secretary of the British Cabinet , Si

With one of the largest military forces in the world, Iraq began to threaten many countries. One of them being Israel. Hussein argued that the land of Israel was stolen from the Arab people and if not given back he would use as much force necessary to regain it. But Hussein had other ideas than his threat against Israel. He decided to invade Kuwait and try to take over it’s oil reserves. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein declared that the invasion was a response to overproduction of oil in Kuwait, which had cost Iraq over $13 million when oil prices fell. Hussein also accused Kuwait of illegally pumping oil from Iraq's Rumaila oil field.

Under the 1975 Algiers Agreement, Iraq ceded 518 km2 of oil-rich borderlands along the Shatt al-Arab in exchange for an Iranian agreement to stop supporting Kurdish rebels in Iraq. But after the fall of Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi which resulted in a weak Iranian military, Iraq decided to reclaim the Shatt al Arab. By 1979, however, Saddam Hussein had clawed his way to the top of the ruling junta of Iraq and took advantage of the chaos unleashed by the recent Iranian Revolution to shift the disputed border back in Iraq's favor, with the excuse being that the predominantly Arab population of this region would prefer being part of the predominantly Arab state of Iraq. His armies crossed into Iran in September, 1980. This began the crucial war called the Iran-Iraq War. Hussein wanted to create a super power with Iraq and with a successful invasion of Iran, he could very well reach that goal. Iraq also hoped to seize an Iranian section called Khuzestan, an area known for it’s oil fields. A more important issue than geography was religion. Both nations were Muslim, with the leaders from Iran mainly from the Shiite branch and the leaders of Iraq from the Sunni. Before the Iranian revolution, the distinction between the countries was less religious than ideological. The ruling Ba'ath Party in Iraq was socialist and pro-Soviet, whereas the Iranian shah was anti-socialist and pro-Western. The Iraqi leadership became more of an issue after the Iranian revolution, when Ayatollah Khomeini, who had spent part of his exile in Iraq, encourages colleagues to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Khomeini decided on this because he thought Hussein government was anti-Islamic. But Iran was the weakest out of the two. With the revolution coming to an end, it’s armies were weak and weary, Khomeini was trying to establish a government, and Marxist rebels were still attacking the religious fundamentalists in the region. Hussein decided it was the right time to move upon Iran.

During the war, an Iraqi missile hit a U.S. oil ship killing 37 Americans. Hussein apologized and the United State directed it’s anger towards Iran. The United States and their allies began escorting oil ships, to keep the ships safe from air attacks. But the next attack wasn’t from the air, but in the water. Iran had planted mines below the surface, which bobbed unseen. When the U.S. supertanker Bridgeton hit a mine in July 1987, the Iranians exulted at having used undetected mines to defeat the United States. Acting once again after it was too late, the United States began minesweeping operations. Eventually, other nations joined the effort to clear the Gulf after Iran threatened to spread mines throughout the vital shipping lanes. The only relations which came out of the Iran-Iraq war was the support from each side. Many countries helped Iran fight and also helped Iraq fight, in hoping neither country would be victorious and the flow of oil not be dictated by one super power.

During this period, Germany was stripped of all oil right and the three main super powers, who came out of Word War I victorious, shared out Iraqi oil amongst themselves. These three super powers were France, Britain, and the United States. Iraq was split up with Britain, the colonial suppressor of Iraq, controlling half of the Iraq, t

Some topics in this essay:
United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Saddam Hussein’s, Britain United, Soviet Union, Iraq Soviets, Saddam Hussein, Gulf Iran, Hussein Khomeini, Middle East, iraqi oil, saudi arabia, saddam hussein, oil fields, oil companies, hussein’s regime, middle east, iranian revolution, production costs, flow oil, kuwait saudi arabia, weapons mass destruction, ultra low production, france britain united, low production costs,