Editing Iran–Iraq War (section)

===Iranian war-weariness===
Operation Karbala-5 was a severe blow to Iran's military and morale.<ref name="Dunn 1998" /> To foreign observers, it appeared that Iran was continuing to strengthen. By 1988, Iran had become self-sufficient in many areas, such as anti-tank TOW missiles, Scud ballistic missiles ([[Shahab-1]]), [[Silkworm (missile)|Silkworm]] anti-ship missiles, [[Oghab]] tactical rockets, and producing spare parts for their weaponry. Iran had improved its air defences with smuggled surface to air missiles.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> Iran was even producing UAV's and the [[Pilatus PC-7]] propeller aircraft for observation.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> Iran doubled their stocks of artillery, and was self-sufficient in the manufacture of ammunition and small arms.<ref name=csis10 />

While it was not obvious to foreign observers, the Iranian public had become increasingly war-weary and disillusioned with the fighting, and relatively few volunteers joined the fight in 1987–88. Because the Iranian war effort relied on popular mobilisation, their military strength actually declined, and Iran was unable to launch any major offensives after Karbala-5. As a result, for the first time since 1982, the momentum of the fighting shifted towards the regular army, whose reliance on conscription made the war even less popular. Many Iranians began to try to escape the conflict. As early as May 1985, [[anti-war demonstration]]s took place in 74 cities throughout Iran, which were crushed by the regime, resulting in some protesters being shot and killed.<ref name=spokane85>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19850510&id=FloaAAAAIBAJ&pg=7018,2528377|title=Anti-war protests reported in Iran|newspaper=Spokane Chronicle|agency=Associated Press|date=10 May 1985|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903232542/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1345&dat=19850510&id=FloaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XScEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7018,2528377|archive-date=3 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

The leadership acknowledged that the war was a stalemate, and began to plan accordingly.<ref name=pollack04 /> No more "final offensives" were planned.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> The head of the Supreme Defence Council Akbar Rafsanjani announced during a news conference the end of human wave attacks.<ref name="Sciolino New York Times">{{cite news|author-link=Elaine Sciolino|last=Sciolino|first=Elaine|title=Human Wave raid loses Iran's favor|newspaper=The New York Times|date=5 July 1987|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/05/world/human-wave-raid-losses-iran-s-favor.html|access-date=9 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106110937/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/05/world/human-wave-raid-losses-iran-s-favor.html|archive-date=6 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mohsen Rezaee]], head of the IRGC, announced that Iran would focus exclusively on limited attacks and infiltrations, while arming and supporting opposition groups inside of Iraq.<ref name=csis8 />

On the Iranian home front, sanctions, declining oil prices, and Iraqi attacks on Iranian oil facilities and shipping took a heavy toll on the economy. While the attacks themselves were not as destructive as some analysts believed, the U.S.-led [[Operation Earnest Will]], which protected Iraqi and allied oil tankers, but not Iranian ones, led many neutral countries to stop trading with Iran because of rising [[insurance]] and fear of air attack.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /><ref name=iranchamber-armingiraq /><ref name=iranchamber-iraniraqwar /> Iranian oil and non-oil exports fell by 55%, inflation reached 50% by 1987, and [[unemployment rate|unemployment]] skyrocketed.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> At the same time, Iraq was experiencing crushing debt and shortages of workers, encouraging its leadership to try to end the war quickly.<ref name="Dunn 1998" />

====Strategic situation in late 1987====
{{Main|Operation Nimble Archer}}

[[File:Adnan Khairallah Army.jpg|thumb|[[Adnan Khairallah]], Iraqi Defence Minister, meeting with Iraqi soldiers during the war]]

By the end of 1987, Iraq possessed 5,550 tanks, outnumbering the Iranians six to one, and 900 fighter aircraft, outnumbering the Iranians ten to one.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> After Operation Karbala-5, Iraq only had 100 qualified fighter pilots remaining. Therefore, Iraq began to invest in recruiting foreign pilots from countries such as [[Belgium]], [[South Africa]], [[Pakistan]], [[East Germany]] and the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kavehfarrokh.com/military-history-1900-present/western-pakistani-and-egyptian-pilots-flying-iraqi-combat-aircraft-during-iran-iraq-war/|title=Kaveh Farrokh {{pipe}} Western, Pakistani and Egyptian pilots flying Iraqi Combat Aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116001004/https://kavehfarrokh.com/military-history-1900-present/western-pakistani-and-egyptian-pilots-flying-iraqi-combat-aircraft-during-iran-iraq-war/|archive-date=16 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> They replenished their manpower by integrating volunteers from other Arab countries into their army. Iraq also became self-sufficient in chemical weapons and some conventional ones and received much equipment from abroad. Foreign support helped Iraq bypass its economic troubles and massive debt to continue the war and increase the size of its military.<ref name="Farrokh 03" />

While the southern and central fronts were at a stalemate, Iran began to focus on carrying out offensives in northern Iraq with the help of the Peshmerga (Kurdish [[insurgent]]s). The Iranians used a combination of semi-guerrilla and infiltration tactics in the Kurdish mountains with the Peshmerga. During [[Operation Karbala-9]] in early April, Iran captured territory near Suleimaniya, provoking a severe poison gas counter-attack. During [[Operation Karbala-10]], Iran attacked near the same area, capturing more territory. During Operation Nasr-4, the Iranians surrounded the city of Suleimaniya and, with the help of the Peshmerga, infiltrated over 140&nbsp;km into Iraq and raided and threatened to capture the oil-rich city of [[Kirkuk]] and other northern oilfields.<ref name="Dunn 1998" />