The 1979 Nationwide Attack

Armed insurgencies and counterinsurgencies continued throughout the 1980s, especially during the Iraq War, when Saddam Hussein tried to exploit Kurdish discontent. Despite suppression, Kurdish movements persisted underground and in exile, keeping alive demands for rights and recognition.

The August 18 campaign highlights a central dilemma in modern history the clash between a centralized Islamic state and the country’s diverse ethnic identities. While the Islamic Republic presented itself as a government of the oppressed, many ethnic minorities—particularly Kurds—experienced it as a continuation of authoritarian centralism under a new ideology.

August 19, 2025 | 2:31 am