The Broader Context: The Iran-Iraq War and MEK’s Alliance with Saddam Hussein
The terrorist attack on Mehr 5, 1360, did not occur in isolation. It was part of a broader strategy by the MEK to weaken the Islamic Republic during a time of immense internal and external pressure. The Iran-Iraq War, which had erupted in September 1980, was raging on multiple fronts, with Iranian forces fighting a brutal and costly conflict against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
At the same time, the Islamic Republic was dealing with internal dissent and the growing threat posed by militant groups like the MEK. The Mehr 5 attack came at a time when Iranian forces were achieving significant victories on the southern fronts of the war, particularly in the Khuzestan province, where the Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guards were pushing back Iraqi forces.