1981 in Iraq

← 1980 1979 1978 1981 in Iraq → 1982 1983 1984
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	Other events of 1981 List of years in Iraq

The following lists events that happened during 1981 in Iraq .

Incumbents

• President: Saddam Hussein
• Prime Minister: Saddam Hussein
• Vice President: Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf

Events

January

• 

  Scheme of Operation Opera targeting Iraqi nuclear reactor

  5 January – For the first time since Iraq had invaded its territory in September, Iran launched a counterattack, concentrating its armies at Sousangerd. After 18 months, Iraqi forces had been driven out of Iran, which then began a drive toward capturing Iraqi territory. The war would continue until 1988. ^[1]

June

• 7 June – Israel bombs the nearly completed but not operational Iraqi nuclear reactor 18 miles south of Baghdad in an operation known as Operation Opera. It was the world's first attack on a nuclear plant. ^[2]

Deaths

• 25 June – Saleh Yousefi Kurdish politician.(b.1918) ^[3]

Date unknown

• Nureddin Mahmud – Politician and military commander.(b.1889) ^[4]

References

1. Saskia Gieling, Religion and War in Revolutionary Iran (I.B.Tauris, 1999) pp20-22
2. "1981: Israel bombs Baghdad nuclear reactor". 1981-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
3. "في ذكرى استشهاد صالح اليوسفي". www.kdp.info. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
4. فوزي, أحمد (1984). 12 رئيس وزراء حكايات سياسية وصحفية. مطبعة دار الجاحظ.