Editing Iran–Iraq War (section)

====Attacks on cities====
{{Main|War of the cities}}

Meanwhile, Iraq's air force also began carrying out [[strategic bombing]] raids against Iranian cities. While Iraq had launched numerous attacks with aircraft and [[missiles]] against border cities from the beginning of the war and sporadic raids on Iran's main cities, this was the first systematic strategic bombing that Iraq carried out during the war. This would become known as the ''war of the cities''. With the help of the USSR and the west, Iraq's air force had been rebuilt and expanded.<ref name="Cooper Blinders" /> Meanwhile, Iran, due to sanctions and lack of spare parts, had heavily curtailed its air force operations. Iraq used [[Tu-22]] Blinder and [[Tu-16]] Badger [[strategic bombers]] to carry out long-range high-speed raids on Iranian cities, including Tehran. Fighter-bombers such as the [[MiG-25|MiG-25 Foxbat]] and [[Su-22]] Fitter were used against smaller or shorter range targets, as well as [[Escort fighter|escorting]] the strategic bombers.<ref name="Cooper Blinders" /> Civilian and industrial targets were hit by the raids,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tucker|first=Spencer C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U05OvsOPeKMC&q=Most+of+the+Iraqi+air+raids+were+intercepted+by+the+Iranian+fighter+jets+and+air+defense&pg=PA674|title=The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts [5 volumes]: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts|date=2010|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-948-1}}</ref> and each successful raid inflicted economic damage from regular strategic bombing.<ref name="Cooper Blinders" />

In response, the Iranians deployed their F-4 Phantoms to combat the Iraqis, and eventually they deployed F-14s as well. By 1986, Iran also expanded their [[air defence]] network heavily to relieve the pressure on the air force. By later in the war, Iraqi air attacks were used only on fewer, more important targets.<ref name="Cooper Blinders 2">{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Tom|title=Bombed By Blinders Part 2|url=http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=249&Itemid=47|access-date=30 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822013317/http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=249&Itemid=47|archive-date=22 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in 1987, Saddam also ordered several chemical attacks on civilian targets in Iran, such as the town of [[Sardasht, West Azerbaijan|Sardasht]].<ref name="Daraghai LA Times" />

[[File:War of the Cities map.png|thumb|A map indicating the attacks on civilian areas of Iran, Iraq, and [[Kuwait]] that were targeted during the [[war of the cities]] ]]

Iran also launched several retaliatory air raids on Iraq, while primarily shelling border cities such as Basra. Iran also bought some [[Scud]] missiles from [[Libya]], and launched them against Baghdad. These too inflicted damage upon Iraq.<ref name="Farrokh 03" />

On 7 February 1984, during the first war of the cities, Saddam ordered his air force to attack eleven Iranian cities;<ref name=efraimkarsh /> bombardments ceased on 22 February 1984. It was estimated that 1,200 Iranian civilians were killed during the raids in February alone.<ref name="Farrokh 03" />