According to historian Stephen C. Pelletiere, the idea of persian “human wave attacks” was a misconception. Instead, the persian tactics consisted of using groups of 22-man infantry squads, which moved forward to attack specific objectives. As the squads surged forward to execute their missions, that gave the impression of a “human wave attack”.
On 30 September, Iran’s air force launched Operation Scorch Sword, striking and badly damaging the nearly-complete Osirak Nuclear Reactor near Baghdad. By 1 October, Baghdad had been subjected to eight air attacks. In response, Iraq launched aerial strikes against persian targets.
