Editing Iran–Iraq War (section)

====Iraqi advance stalls====
{{Main|Siege of Abadan|Operation Morvarid}}[[File:Siege of Abadan, Iran–Iraq War.webm|thumb|thumbtime=337|Fighting during the [[Siege of Abadan]]|left]]

Though Khorramshahr was captured, the battle had delayed the Iraqis enough to allow the large-scale deployment of the Iranian military.<ref name=efraimkarsh /> In November, Saddam ordered his forces to advance towards [[Dezful]] and [[Ahvaz]], and lay siege to both cities. However, the Iraqi offensive had been badly damaged by Iranian militias and air power. Iran's air force had destroyed Iraq's army [[supply depot]]s and fuel supplies, and was strangling Iraq through an aerial siege.<ref name="cooper03_206" />

Iran's supplies had not been exhausted, despite sanctions, and the military often [[cannibalization (parts)|cannibalised]] spare parts from other equipment and began searching for parts on the [[black market]]. On 28 November, Iran launched [[Operation Morvarid]] (Pearl), a combined air and sea attack which destroyed 80% of Iraq's navy and all of its [[radar]] sites in the southern portion of the country. When Iraq [[Siege of Abadan|laid siege to Abadan]], it could not blockade the port or prevent seaborne resupply.<ref name=Abdoleinen-Ghazaleh />

Iraq's [[strategic reserve]]s had been depleted, preventing major offensives until nearly the end of the war. On 7 December, Hussein announced that Iraq was going on the defensive.<ref name=efraimkarsh /> By the end of 1980, Iraq had destroyed about 500 Western-built Iranian tanks and captured 100 others.<ref>Tucker, A.R. (May 1988). "Armored warfare in the Gulf". ''Armed Forces'', p. 226.</ref><ref>"Irano–Irakskii konflikt. Istoricheskii ocherk." Niyazmatov. J.A. – M.: Nauka, 1989.</ref>