Contemporary
Camp David Accords 1978: Sadat, Begin and Carter Make Peace
Egypt and Israel agreed two frameworks that led to their peace treaty of March 1979 and Israel's full withdrawal from Sinai by 1982.
Region
Middle East
Contemporary
Operation Cyclone: The CIA's Arming of the Afghan Mujahideen
The covert programme supplied billions of dollars in weapons and money to the Afghan resistance, raising the cost of the Soviet war until Moscow withdrew in 1989.
Contemporary
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979): Start of a Decade War
Soviet forces killed Hafizullah Amin, installed Babrak Karmal and became trapped in a nine-year war against the mujahideen that ended with their withdrawal in February 1989.
Contemporary
Iran Hostage Crisis 1979-1981: 444 Days at the US Embassy
The 52 remaining hostages were freed under the Algiers Accords on 20 January 1981; US-Iranian relations were broken and have never been fully restored.
Contemporary
Iranian Revolution 1979: The Fall of the Shah and Khomeini's Rise
The Pahlavi monarchy collapsed and Iran became an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini, confirmed by referendum on 30-31 March 1979.
Contemporary
Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988: Saddam Hussein's War against Iran
A UN-brokered ceasefire under Resolution 598 ended the war with no territorial change, after an estimated half a million or more deaths.
Contemporary
Assassination of Anwar Sadat (1981): Death at a Cairo Parade
Sadat was killed and Vice-President Hosni Mubarak succeeded him, ruling under emergency law for almost 30 years while keeping peace with Israel.
Contemporary
Hama Massacre 1982: Hafez al-Assad Crushes a Syrian Revolt
The Syrian army retook Hama after about four weeks of siege and bombardment; an estimated 10,000–40,000 people were killed and the Islamist insurgency in Syria was crushed.
Contemporary
Sabra and Shatila Massacre 1982: Killings in Beirut's Camps
Phalangist militiamen killed between several hundred and several thousand civilians; Israel's Kahan Commission found Defence Minister Ariel Sharon personally responsible for ignoring the danger, and he left the defence ministry.
Contemporary
First Intifada 1987–1993: The Palestinian Uprising Explained
The uprising brought the Palestinian question back to world attention, led the PLO to accept a two-state framework and helped open the way to the Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accords.
Contemporary
Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan (1988-1989): Leaving Kabul
All Soviet combat troops left Afghanistan by 15 February 1989; the war between the Kabul government and the mujahideen continued.
Contemporary
Halabja Chemical Attack 1988: Iraq's Gas Attack on the Kurds
An estimated 3,200 to 5,000 civilians were killed and thousands injured; the attack became the deadliest chemical weapons attack on civilians in history and was later ruled an act of genocide by an Iraqi court.