Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Hurumende yaSaddam Hussein yakatsvaka kubatanidza nharaunda dzinoverengeka. MuHondo yeIran neIraq, Saddam akataura kuti Iraq yaive nekodzero yekubata hutongi kumahombekombe ekumabvazuva kwerwizi rweShatt al-Arab rwaive neIran. Iraq yakanga yabvuma zviri pamutemo chibvumirano chokubata muganhu pakati porwizi muAlgiers Agreement ya1975 mukutsinhana neIran kuti igumise kutsigira kwayo vapanduki vechiKurd muIraq. Kukundwa kweumambo hweIran uye kukwira kwaRuhollah Khomeini pachigaro muna 1979 kwakakanganisa hukama hweIran neIraq uye zvichitevera kurwisana kwemadzinza mukati meKhuzestan uye kurwisana kwemuganhu pakati pevarwi veIran neIraq, Iraq yakaona Chibvumirano cheAlgiers sechisina basa uye chakachidzima uye mazuva mashoma gare gare mauto eIraq akatanga kurwisa kwakazara kweIran izvo zvakaguma ne Iran-Iraq Hondo. Mukuwedzera, Saddam akatsigira Iraq-based Ahwaz Liberation Movement uye chinangwa chavo chekuputsa nharaunda yavo yavanoti yeAhwaz kure neIran, mukutenda kuti kufamba kwacho kwaizomutsa maArabu eKhuzestan kuti vatsigire kupindirwa kweIraq. Muhondo yeGulf,
Iraq yakatora Kuwait ndokuibatanidza isati yadzingwa nemubatanidzwa wemauto wepasi rose uyo wakatsigira kudzorerwa kwehutongi hweKuwait.