Involvement of the USSR and the United States in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988)

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to study the specific aspects of the implementation of the international law provisions by the USSR and USA in the context of the Iran-Iraq armed conflict, to examine the legal status of Soviet military advisers in Iraq, and to analyze the relations of the USSR and USA with Iran and Iraq in 1980-1988. Methodology: Legalistic, historical and analytic approaches were used. Results: This article discusses the main aspects of the Soviet and American involvement in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), as well as problems of the diplomatic relations of the Soviet Union and the USA with the states that were the parties to the conflict and aspects of military cooperation. The author comes to the conclusion that Soviet military advisers in Iraq could not be defined as mercenaries under Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, and also recognizes the fallacy of the USSR and US policies during the ending period of the conflict. The author also recognizes fallacy of US and USSR policies towards Iran during the ending stage of the conflict...