This annotated chronology is based on the data sources that follow each entry. Public sources often provide conflicting information on classified military programs. In some cases we are unable to resolve these discrepancies, in others we have deliberately refrained from doing so to highlight the potential influence of false or misleading information as it appeared over time. In many cases, we are unable to independently verify claims. Hence in reviewing this chronology, readers should take into account the credibility of the sources employed here.

Inclusion in this chronology does not necessarily indicate that a particular development is of direct or indirect proliferation significance. Some entries provide international or domestic context for technological development and national policymaking. Moreover, some entries may refer to developments with positive consequences for nonproliferation.

1988
Iran begins limited-scale assembly of North Korean Scud-B missiles from "knock-down kits" at a facility near Isfahan, Iran's largest ballistic missile plant.
—Kenneth Timmerman, "Iran's Ballistic Missile Programs," Mednews, 21 December 1992, pp. 4-5.

1988
Iran provides North Korea with wreckage of Al-Hussein missiles used by Iraq in the "war of the cities." This may have helped with the North Korean program to produce the Scud-C.
—Chang Chun Ik, Pukhan Haek-Missile Chŏnjaeng (Seoul: Sŏmundang, May 1999), pp. 275-276.

1988
The CS-802 is an upgraded C-801 and is exhibited for the first time. It uses a turbojet propulsion system with a rocket booster instead of the solid-fueled booster in the C-801.
—Anthony H. Cordesman, Threats and Non-Threats from Iran (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, 26 January 1995), pp. 42, 46, 56.

1988
The Shahid Sattari Air Force University is established.
—"Iran: Radio carries report from Air Force University," Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 (Tehran), 17 February 2001; in FBIS Document IAP20010217000034, 17 February 2001.

1988
Iran initiates its Shahab-3 ballistic missile program at the same time that North Korea starts its Nodong ballistic missile project.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, p. 26.

1988
Iran is reportedly developing chemical warheads for its missiles. North Korea has possibly supplied Iran with a small number of Hwasong-5 chemical warheads, in addition to chemical weapon technology. China and some European organizations have allegedly provided assistance to Iran's chemical weapons programs.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "A History of Ballistic Missile Development in the DPRK," Occasional Paper No. 2, Center for Nonproliferation Studies, November 1999, p. 13.

1988
Negotiations between China and Iran on the sale of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), which are probably the M-9, are still ongoing. [Note: These negotiations began in 1987.]
—"Iran," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 December 1992, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1988
Iran launches 243 Oghab missiles on Iraqi Border cities.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 22.

1988
Iran begins its acquisition of Scud-Bs, a difficult task given the fact that few countries have these missiles. While the Soviet Union is giving Iraq Scud-Bs, other countries that have purchased missiles from the Soviets are not allowed to sell them to anyone else. Many countries that have these ballistic missiles were supporting Iraq during the war, and so only Libya and Syria, which were allied with Iran, are willing to sell these missiles to them. Iran began talking with both countries about this issue in early 1983. Syria gave Iran multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) and other military aid, and Libya gave Iran a few surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 51.

1988
Production for the Mushak-120 begins and is first used during the "war of the cities." Supposedly, Iran did not finish the Mushak-160's development stage until after the war with Iraq. Production of the missile is intended to begin in 1989.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 61.

1988
In early January, Reagan administration officials consider and reject a military plan to intercept ships carrying missiles to Iran. Secretary of State George P. Shultz says that setting up a blockade of arms shipping under UN auspices would be complicated. He declines to say whether the United States had considered acting alone to stop arms shipments to Iran.
—John H. Cushman, Jr., "US Studied Halting Iran-Bound Missiles," New York Times, 18 January 1988, p. A6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1988
Iran's Scud missile program splits into two sections. North Korea helps Iran build a factory to make the Scud-Mod. B missiles indigenously in one section of the program; in the other, China supplies Iran with missile technology. At some point in 1988, China and Iran seem to make a deal for a missile facility to produce "M-class" surface-to-surface missiles.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 57.

1988
Iran launches approximately 104 Oghab missiles. The Oghab, with a range of only 40km and a 70kg warhead. However, the Oghab lacks the accuracy to hit anything other than large area targets. Despite its unproven effectiveness, Iran launches the Oghab at Iraqi border cities, including Basra, Abu al-Khasib, Al-Zuybar, Umm-Qasr, Mandali, Khanaqin, and Bammil. Iran's artillery barrages are more effective than the Oghab.
—Anthony H. Cordesman and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War: The Iran-Iraq War (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1990), p. 367.

1988
Iran signs an agreement with China, which calls for China to fit conventional warheads on Iranian unguided sounding rockets. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation is to provide the warheads. The contract is cancelled after the cessation of the Iran-Iraq War.
—"Iran," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 December 1992, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1988
Missile Forecast 1988 reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been developing short-range mobile missiles. Some of these missiles have ranges from 130 to 160 to 200km. The earlier models of these missiles were called Nazeat. This publication also claims that the development of Iran's 130km missile began in the early 1980s. In addition, Iran benefited from Chinese designs in the development of its 130km-range missile. The related Chinese project originally developed the old HD-2 (Guide Line) surface-to-air missiles into surface-to-surface missiles. These missiles, which in Iran are called Nazeat and Fajr, do not have guidance systems. Iran subsequently extended the range of these missiles to 160 and 200km and named them Zalzal. Western sources have reported that Iran used 10 of these missiles in the Iran-Iraq War against Iraq.
—Staff Colonel Yaqub Aslan, "World Strategic Rockets and Missiles: "Iran's Surface to Surface Missiles," Saff (Tehran), No. 229, 22 May-21 June 1999; in "Saff on Iran's Surface-to-Surface Missiles"; in FBIS Document FTS19990904000330, 4 September 1999.

1988
Iran launches 335 missiles at Iraq; 75 of the missiles are Scuds.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

1988
Iran reportedly fires 77 North Korean-produced Scud-B missiles during the War of the Cities.
—"The Iranian Connection," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 April 1989, p. 180, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1988
Notwithstanding a lack of supporting evidence, it is suggested that the Iranians are interested in North Korean developments with the Scud-PIP, despite Iran's heavy commitment to its own tactical ballistic missile programs and its deployment of a number of such systems.
—"The Iranian Connection," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 April 1989, p. 180, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1988
Iran launches 77 Scud-B missiles within a 52-day period against Iraq during the "War of the Cities." Iran launches 61 missiles at Baghdad, 9 at Mosul, 5 at Kirkuk, 1 at Takrit, and 1 at Kuwait. Iran fires as many as 5 missiles per day, and at one point launches 3 missiles within 30 minutes. By the end of the war, Iran has only 10-20 remaining missiles.
—Anthony H. Cordesman, Iran and Nuclear Weapons (Washington DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies), 7 February 2000, p. 35.

1988
North Korea sells 100 "warheads" to Iran in 1988.
—"North Korea," Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, April 1991, p. 24.

Early 1988
Iran purchases 40 Scud-B missiles from North Korea. The missiles are employed during the War of the Cities from February 1988 to April 1988. [Note: These missiles may be part of the June 1987 purchase rather than an additional purchase. This may also be a reference to one of the missile deliveries taking place from July 1987 to February 1988.]
—Steven Emerson, "The Postwar Scud Boom," Wall Street Journal, 10 July 1991, p. A12.

Early 1988
The Chinese and North Koreans collaborate in the construction of a missile production facility believed to be manufacturing Silkworm Missiles under Chinese license along the Tehran-Mashhad railway.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 23.

Early 1988
Another missile site is built 350km south of Tabas along Mashhad-Isfahan road to monitor missile tests from the Sharoud range.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 23.

Early 1988
The first units of the Nazeat come off the production line at the Isfahan missile production site.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 26.

11 January 1988
Iran receives a shipment of Chinese-made Silkworm missiles, apparently routed from a North Korean port to Bandar-e Abbas. Approximately six missiles and a launcher were spotted on the deck of a North Korean port where the Iranian merchant ship Iran Bayan was loading two weeks ago. North Korea is a transfer point of Chinese shipments to Iran. North Korea also sells arms to Iran directly. U.S. officials are unsure whether the Silkworm missiles were sold by China to North Korea and subsequently resold to Iran, or if the missiles were sold outright from China to Iran.
—Molly Moore, "More Silkworm Missiles Reported in Iran," Washington Post, 14 January 1998, p. A32, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

12 January 1988
A U.S. administration official says that Iran receives a shipment of Chinese-built Silkworm missiles from North Korea. Some intelligence reports suggest that the new shipment includes missiles capable of being launched from ships. The evidence is not conclusive on the types of missiles included. Reports of the delivery are based partly on satellite photographs of a ship that recently arrived in Iran from North Korea. There is no clear indication of the number of missiles included in the shipment, only that there is a small number of Silkworm missiles and some Styx missiles. [Note: This source identifies the Styx missile as a variation of the Silkworm missile. This is inaccurate. The Silkworm (HY-2) is a Chinese variation of the Russian-designed Styx missile. The article reports that the Styx missile is the ship-based variant of the Silkworm. It is possible that the reporter is confused by the missile types and is reporting that the shipment contains Styx missiles when in fact the shipment may be carrying modified ship-launchable Silkworm missiles. It is well-documented that Iran is actively pursuing a ship-based variant of the Silkworm missile.]
—David Shipler, "US Says Iran Received More Chinese Missiles," New York Times, 13 January 1988, p. A7, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

13 January 1988
A U.S. administration official says that the recent delivery of Silkworm missiles is not conclusive proof that China has broken a November 1987 promise to stop sending missiles to Iran, as the missiles could have come from North Korean stocks.
—UPI, "Iran Gets First Ship-Based Silkworm Missiles—US," Los Angeles Times, 13 January 1988, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

19 January 1988
U.S. intelligence sources report that U.S. allies were among the nations that exported a total of $1.5 billion in military equipment to Iran in 1987. The largest supplier of arms to Iran in 1987 was China, which shipped $600 million worth of artillery, ammunition, and Silkworm missiles. China also sold Iran industrial machinery needed to produce its own weapons. North Korea sold $400 million in military hardware to Iran in 1987, including artillery, fast patrol boats, and Soviet-designed Scud surface-to-surface missiles. Spain and Portugal sent $150 million worth of military equipment to Iran; Japanese firms sent $100 million in spare parts and trucks to Iran; West German and Swiss firms sold chemical warfare defensive gear; and $340 million worth of military hardware came from Warsaw Pact countries. The sources have no evidence of Soviet arms transfers to Iran. The totals were compiled as part of an updated Pentagon analysis of foreign military transactions with Iran.
—John M. Broder, "US Allies Took Part in '87 Arms Sales to Iran," Los Angeles Times, 20 January 1988, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

19 January 1988
North Korea denies allegations made in the U.S. news media that Chinese-made Silkworm missiles are being supplied to Iran via North Korea.
—Korean Central News Agency, 19 January 1988, in "KCNA Denies Silkworms Shipped to Iran," FBIS-EAS-88-011, 19 January 1988, pp. 14-15.

28 January 1988
China reportedly sells Iran HY-2 Silkworm anti-ship cruise missiles, at least 96 of which are received by Iran. The Great Wall Industry Corporation of China is believed to be handling the Silkworm sale.
—"China and the Gulf," Jane's Foreign Report, 28 January 1988, in <http://www.janesonline.com>.

February 1988
U.S. customs misses a shipment of ammonium per chlorate (AP) used as an oxidizer for solid fuel destined to Iran. They are able to recover it with the assistance of Dutch customs, which finds the chemical in a vessel in Rotterdam. After investigations, the U.S. customs realize that Iran purchased the chemical though German and Swiss intermediaries.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), p. 26.

February 1988
Dutch police, acting on a tip from U.S. Customs Service officials, seize 1,144 drums of ammonium perchlorate from an Iranian-registered ship, the Aladat, bound for the port of Bandar-e Abbas. The West German firm D.A. Dampf placed the shipment aboard the Iranian vessel.
—Paul Houston, "US Freezes Company's Loan Over Chemical Bound for Iran," Washington Post, 24 March 1989, p. A11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 February 1988
U.S. sources say that American-made Stinger missiles are found on an Iranian speedboat sunk by U.S. helicopters on 8 October 1987. The boat is retrieved by U.S. Navy divers and apparently contains several Stinger missiles and one launcher. U.S. officials say that the Stinger missiles were seized by Iran from Afghan rebels.
—Associated Press, "US-made missiles found on sunken Iranian boat," San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 February 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 February 1988
Iran is manufacturing various types of rockets that can be launched against unguided and guided missiles and can manufacture types that strengthen Iran's offensive capability, such as anti-tank, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface systems.
—"Revolution Guards Missile Industry Examined," Domestic Service (Tehran), 4 February 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-89-025, 8 February 1989, pp. 55-56.

25 February 1988
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Staff announces that the IRGC Air Force begins the first training course on surface-to-surface missiles during a special ceremony at IRGC Air Force's Fajr base.
—"IRGC Air Force Begins Missile Training," Domestic Service (Tehran), 25 February 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-88-038, 26 February 1988.

29 February 1988
Iranian government sources say that Iran fires three surface-to-surface missiles at Baghdad, aiming them at a radio and television building and two military centers, in retaliation for Iraqi attacks on what Iran termed "non-military areas of Tehran" during the previous week. The missiles are launched in the early morning, at 2:55, 3:05, and 3:25. Iraq says only two missiles were launched, at 3:15 and 3:35 a.m. Iran time. A statement submitted by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says, "The Iraqi regime has renewed its attacks on Iranian civilian areas because it is unable to fight Muslim combatants on the battlefronts.... Its renewed attacks on civilian areas will not go unanswered." Iraq claims that only two missiles struck Baghdad. Iran has fired eight missiles into Baghdad since the UN Security Council called for a cease-fire on 20 July 1987. Altogether, Iran has fired 37 missiles into Baghdad since March 1985, when the two countries began bombing each other's cities.
—Reuters, "'Many killed as Iran bombs Iraqi capital," Toronto Star, 29 February 1988, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

Late February 1988
The Iranian ship Iran Teyfouri delivers 80 HY-2 Silkworm and 40 Scud-B missiles from North Korea and China to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
—AFP (Paris), 1 April 1988, in "Government Buys Chinese, N. Korean Missiles," FBIS-NES-88-063, 1 April 1988, p. 45; Steven Emerson, "The Postwar Scud Boom," Wall Street Journal, 10 July 1991, p. A12.

29 February-21 April 1988
This period is known as the "Second War of the Cities" between Iran and Iraq. During this time, the total number of Oghab rockets launched by Iran goes up to around 365.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 50.

1 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Air Force launches three Scud missiles at Baghdad at 9:25, 9:26, and 11:05 in the evening. Iraq says Iran only launched two missiles: one at 9:11 p.m. and the other at 11:33 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

2 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Air Force launches two Scud missiles at Baghdad at approximately 6:00 a.m. In a rare public appearance, Ayatollah Khomeini tells families of war victims in a 10-minute address that Iraqi attacks only increase Iranian resolve. "We fear nothing," he says, "for a martyrdom-lover it makes no difference to be martyred by a missile, a bomb, or anything else." Khomeini promises "tooth-smashing" retaliation against Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; David Hirst, "More missiles rain down on Gulf cities," Guardian (London), 3 March 1988, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 March 1988
Since 29 February, Iran has fired 10 surface-to-surface missiles at Baghdad, while Iraq has fired 25 missiles at Tehran. Military experts speculate that, with both sides bent on retaliation, the two countries will fire missiles at each other's capitals until they run out of ammunition.
—Reuters-AP, "'War of cities' continues amid missile barrage," Toronto Star, 3 March 1988, p. A14, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

3 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches three Scud missiles at Baghdad. Iraq says the missiles landed at 6:25 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 6:37 p.m. Both Iran and Iraq are believed to be using Soviet-made Scud-B surface-to-surface missiles, although the Soviet Union denies supplying the missiles. Iran also uses Scud-Bs reportedly supplied by its Arab allies, Syria and Libya.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; "Capitals of Iran and Iraq under missile fire for 4th day," Los Angeles Times, 4 March 1988, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

4 March 1988
Iraq says it fires three surface-to-surface missiles at Tehran, and Iran counters with two Scud missiles launched at Baghdad at 5:15 p.m. Iraq says only one missile was fired at Baghdad. Iran claims to have fired 12 surface-to-surface missiles into Baghdad since the beginning of this latest round of the "War of the Cities," but Iraq has confirmed only nine. In a sermon, Ayatollah Abdulkarim Ardabili says Iran will stop the missiles if Iraq does, but otherwise would "retaliate severely by showering missiles and artillery fire" on Iraqi cities. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces launch an unknown number of medium-range missiles at an Iraqi "mobile surface-to-surface missile pad" near the Tib River. Iran says that it destroyed the launch pad.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Associated Press, "Iran, Iraq Continuing Deadly Duel of Missiles," Los Angeles Times, 5 March 1988, p. 20, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; Reuters, "Iraq launch pad wrecked in missile war, Iran says," Toronto Star, 5 March 1988, p. A15, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

5 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force fires four Scud missiles at military installations in Baghdad. One missile is launched before 7:00 a.m., the others between 7:44 p.m. and 9:26 p.m, Iran time. Iraq acknowledges the missile strike, reporting that it hit a residential area.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; "Iran, Iraq Continue Missile Attacks," Washington Post, 6 March 1988, p. A30, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

5 March 1988
Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati says that "more than 30" Iraqi missiles have hit Tehran.
—Associated Press, "Iran, Iraq admit many dying in 'cities war'," Toronto Star, 7 March 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 March 1988
Iran's army launches 10 medium-range missiles against the Iraqi cities of Basra, Mandali, Khanaqin, Banmil, and Naft Khaneh in the early morning. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches five missiles at Baghdad at 12:25, 7:20, and 7:21 in the morning, then shortly before midnight.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

7 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches one Scud missile at Mosul, Iraq, at 6:38 p.m. The IRGC Air Force also launches two Scuds at Baghdad, at 3:00 p.m. Iraq says that only one missile was launched at Baghdad. Iran is retaliating for an Iraqi missile attack against Tehran, in which three long-range missiles reportedly kill 30 people.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; UPI, "Iraq, Iran Missile Blitz Continues," Los Angeles Times, 7 March 1988, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

8 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches one Scud missile at Baghdad at 12:30 a.m. and one unknown missile at an Iraqi military facility in Al-Amarah at 1:03 a.m. Later that evening, Iran launches two Scuds at Mosul. Iraq says that only one missile was fired at Mosul, at 2:30 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

8 March 1988
The Iranian government announces that Iran has launched four surface-to-surface missiles against Baghdad in retaliation for three missiles launched against Tehran by Baghdad. Iraqi officials acknowledge only that two missiles have struck residential areas of Baghdad.
—Charles P. Wallace, "Missiles Fly in 2nd Week of 'War of Cities'," Los Angeles Times, 8 March 1988, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

8 March 1988
U.S. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater says the Reagan administration accepted China's declaration that it no longer sells Silkworm missiles to Iran, though China remains a supplier of conventional arms. The United States protested to China in 1987 about its sale of Silkworms to Iran. "To the best of our information, they have not delivered any missiles since then."
—Associated Press, "China backs US embargo on Iran arms; administration given Beijing assurance on Silkworm missiles," Los Angeles Times, 8 March 1988, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

9 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force fires two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 10:00 a.m. and 10:05 a.m. Iraq says that one missile was launched.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

9 March 1988
Iran has launched a total of 20 missiles at Iraqi targets since 29 February. In addition, Iran is reported to be firing Scud-B missiles at Baghdad; these missiles are believed to have come from Syria and Libya.
—Charles P. Wallace, "Iraq Strikes Ship in Gulf, 3 Iranian Cities; Tehran Retaliates with Missile Attack; Lull in Tanker War Ends," Los Angeles Times, 9 March 1988, p. 4, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 March 1988
Iranian Prime Minister Husayn Musavi says that Iran will end the missile attacks against Baghdad provided that Baghdad end its air and missile raids on Iranian centers.
—"Tehran calls for ceasefire in war of the cities: Baghdad sets terms for end to punishing missile duel in separate move," Guardian (London), 11 March 1988, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 March 1988
After 11 consecutive days of missile strikes on each other's capitals, it appears as if Iran and Iraq are ending reciprocal bombardment. Iraq signals its willingness to end the missile exchanges with Iran, but on its own terms. The first term is that Iraq should make the last bombardment since, as Iraq claims, Iran initiated the exchanges with two missile attacks on Baghdad on 29 February. Iran is believed to have fired the last missile. Iran has launched nearly 30 missile strikes against Baghdad and Iraq has launched more than 50 against Tehran. The Iraqi overture for a cease-fire appears prompted from concern about the damage to civilian morale.
—Richard Johns, "Iran-Iraq Missile War at End," Financial Times (London), 11 March 1988, p. 3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

10 March 1988
The Iranian Army fires six unknown missiles at "industrial installations" in Basra and Khanaqin, Iraq. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fires two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 10:00 and 10:02 p.m. The IRGC Navy fires ten unknown missiles at Iraqi ships and naval facilities around Umm Qasr, including the "Iraqi Navy's 7th Headquarters."
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

11 March 1988
Iran fires four unknown missiles at Basra and Al-Amarah, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

11 March 1988
Iranian Majlis Speaker Hashemi Rafsanjani addresses Friday prayers in Tehran as Iraq fires eight missiles on the capital. Tehran worshippers chant, "War, war, till victory," "Martyrdom is honor," and "Missile for Missile," calling for reprisal attacks. Iran's last missile is launched only 16 minutes before the deadline for the conditional ceasefire agreed to on 10 March. Iraq reports firing 67 missiles on Iran since 29 February, compared to Iran's 31 missiles. Most of the missiles have been aimed at the two countries' capitals.
—David Hirst, "War of the cities grinds to a halt: Missile attacks end just 16 minutes before deadline," Guardian (London), 12 March 1988, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 1988
Military sources in Washington report that Iran may be planning to install Silkworm missiles on the island of Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf. Surveillance detects evidence that crude missile launch pads are being built by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, say there is currently no sign of the missiles being installed. The installation of Silkworm missiles on Abu Musa would extend the "Silkworm envelope" along Iran's coast, doubling the arc of the present threat.
—Associated Press, "US naval officers not worried about Iran missile threat," San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 March 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 1988
The short-lived conditional ceasefire between Iran and Iraq is broken. Iraq cites the victims of Iranian artillery in Kurdistan as justification for its decision to resume missile strikes on the Iranian capital. The Iranian government retaliates by firing two missiles at Baghdad, while Iraqi authorities report that only one of the two missiles hits the capital.
—Charles P. Wallace, "Iran, Iraq continue cycle of death; artillery fire leads to more coffins, retaliatory missiles," Los Angeles Times, 15 March 1988, p. 10, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

14 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fires two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 12:20 p.m. and 12:25 p.m. Iraq says Iran launched one missile. IRGC ground forces fire nine unknown missiles at Umm Qasr, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

15 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fires 11 unknown missiles at "industrial and military targets" around Al-Nashwah and Said Canal in Iraq's Basra province.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

15 March 1988
Iran threatens to turn Baghdad into "an inferno" because of missile attacks on Tehran.
—"Iran Threatens Inferno," Financial Times (London), 15 March 1988, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

15 March 1988
Iraq launches six long-range missiles at Tehran, but the failure of Iran to respond in kind prompts speculation that it has run out of missiles.
—Associated Press, "Many civilian deaths as Iran, Iraq blast cities," Toronto Star, 16 March 1988, p. A17, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

16 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fires 14 missiles at various Iraqi targets. The attacks include five Scud missiles launched at Baghdad at 1:45 a.m., 1:47 a.m., 2:18 a.m., 2:20 a.m., and 12:22 p.m. The Iraqi news agency confirms only three hits on the capital. The IRGC also launched nine unknown missiles at "economic and military targets" around Al-Nashwah and Soeib Canal in Basra Province.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Associated Press, "UN urges halt as Iran, Iraq trade missile shots," Los Angeles Times, 17 March 1988, p. 11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

17 March 1988
Iran launches 35 missiles at various targets in Iraq. The attacks include 20 unknown missiles of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) aimed at "industrial and military centers" in Basra; 12 unknown missiles aimed at Al-Zubayr; and 3 medium-range missiles aimed at "military and economic centers" in Basra and Khanaqin.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

17 March 1988
In a telephone interview, Kamal Kharrazi of Iran's Supreme Defense Council, says that some of the 35 long-range missiles fired by Iran at Baghdad during the most recent "War of the Cities" that began on 29 February were domestically manufactured copies of foreign missiles. Western military experts believe Iran is able to manufacture copies of Soviet Scud-B missiles supplied by Syria and Libya. Kharrazi says 50 short-range missiles launched against targets closer to the front were also domestically produced. He declines to specify the foreign weapon on which they had been based, but there is speculation that the compact artillery shell with a range of about 40km may be of Brazilian origin.
—Richard Johns, "Iran Claims It Is Making Missiles," Financial Times (London), 18 March 1988, p. 4, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

17 March 1988
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) fires 20 medium-range surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) at Basra and 12 medium-range SSMs at Al-Zubayr.
—"I Quarter 1988: March," Gulf/2000 Project (New York: School of International and Public Affairs [SIPA], Columbia University, March 1988).

18 March 1988
Iran fires two missiles at Mosul and one missile at Tikrit. The IRGC fires 24 medium-range surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) at Zubayr, Harith and Shobair, as well as four medium-range missiles at the Basra region.
—"I Quarter 1988: March," Gulf/2000 Project (New York: School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University, March 1988); Associated Press, "Iran, Iraq wage missile duel; 3 tankers attacked," San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 March 1988, p. A6, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

18 March 1988
Iran launches 36 missiles at various targets in Iraq. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force fired 24 of the missiles at "industrial targets" in Al-Zubayr, Al-Harithah, and Shobair. The IRGC Air Force also launched four Scud missiles at Mosul, at 1:30 p.m., 1:32 p.m., and around 8:00 p.m. The other attacks include four unknown missiles aimed at Basra, Khanaqin and Banmil; two Scuds aimed at Kirkuk; one "long-range" missile aimed at Tikrit; and one unknown missile aimed at an "industrial target" in Khanaqin. This is the first reported attack on Tikrit. [Note: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is from Tikrit.]
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

19 March 1988
Iran launches 14 missiles at various targets in Iraq, and 12 unknown missiles were launched at Umm Qasr. One Nazeat missile was launched at 8:02 a.m. at "military and industrial targets" in Al-Amarah. Another such missile was launched at Iraq's army command headquarters in Baghdad at 1:00 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), pp. 25, 26.

19 March 1988
A more accurate version of the Oghab, the Fajr-3, goes on the production line.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1992), pp. 25, 26.

19 March 1988
Iran reports its firing of a long-range missile into Baghdad today. Iran's IRNA also reports that Iran fires 12 missiles into the port of Umm Qasr in southeastern Iraq and one into Al-Amarah, a city 320km southeast of Baghdad.
—Associated Press, "Iranian missile rocks Baghdad; Iraqi jets strike," San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 March 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

19 March 1988
Iran fires the IRAN-130 for the first time against targets in Al-Amarah. The missiles are reportedly of Iranian manufacture, though Iran has failed to produce the IRAN-130 in any significant quantity. The missiles are deployed to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). It is unclear if any of the IRAN-130 missiles being fired are hitting their targets or whether they have any technical effect.
—Anthony H. Cordesman and Abraham R. Wagner, The Lessons of Modern War: The Iran-Iraq War (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1990), p. 367.

Spring 1988
The "Scud Mod. B" assembly plant that North Korea helped Iran build becomes operational.
—Andrew Rathmell with contributions by James Bruce and Harold Hough, "Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction," Jane's Intelligence Review- Special Report No 6, p. 20.

20 March 1988
Iran fires 11 unknown missiles at Basra and two Scud missiles at Baghdad. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched the Scuds at Baghdad just before 1:00 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

23 March 1988
Iran launches one Scud missile at Baghdad at approximately 8:00 a.m. Five other missiles are launched at Basra and Khanaqin, Iraq, between 11:05 a.m. and 2:05 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

24 March 1988
Iran fires four Scud missiles at Baghdad, killing 72 people. The first two missiles were launched at 2:25 p.m. and 2:47 p.m.; the second two were fired at 8:23 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. Iran also launches six unknown missiles in the afternoon at "military and industrial targets" in Basra and Mandali, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

25 March 1988
Iran launches four unknown missiles at Basra, Khanaqin and Banmil, Iraq. Iraq reports only two missile strikes against Baghdad.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Associated Press, "23 Die as Missiles Hit Iraq and Iran Capitals," New York Times, 25 March 1988, p. A7, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

25 March 1988
IRNA reports that six missiles are fired during the night into the strategically important city of Basra and the border town of Mandali.
—Associated Press, "Iran missiles, shells slam Iraqi port," San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 March 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

26 March 1988
Iran launches four unknown missiles at Basra, Khanaqin and Banmil, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

27 March 1988
Iran has access to Scud-B missiles from Libya, Syria, and North Korea. It is concluded that the missile exchanges between Iran and Iraq have had more psychological than military utility because the accuracy of the missiles has been poor; however, if the missiles were to become more accurate, it could significantly alter the nature of the conflict between the two gulf countries.
—Geoffrey Kemp, "Mideast Missile Madness: A Bazaar for Doomsday," Washington Post, 27 March 1988, p. C1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

27 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launches two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 8:10 a.m. and 8:12 a.m. Iraq says one missile was launched. Iran also launches two unknown missiles at Basra at 9:45 a.m. and 9:48 a.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

28 March 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) Ground Forces fire three unknown missiles at "economic and military targets" in Mandali, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

29 March 1988
Iran fires two unknown missiles at Mandali, Iraq, at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).].

29 March 1988
Iran's President Hashemi-Rafsanjani states that his country is ready to begin the full-scale production of missiles, which will enable Iran to launch 20 missiles per day into Baghdad. He says that the missiles to be produced will have a 130km range and are not an imitation of another missile.
—"Most Iraqi Cities Now Within Missile Range," IRNA, 29 March 1988; in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 60.

30 March 1988
Iran fires 14 unknown missiles at "military, economic, and industrial installations" in Mandal and Al-Zubayr Iraq at 12:00 noon.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

31 March 1988
Iran fires three unknown missiles at Mandali, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

April 1988
Iran reportedly fires 10 pre-production examples of the Mushak-120 short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) at Iraq.
—Raytheon, "Strategic: Mushak 120," Missile Systems of the World (Raytheon, 1999), p. 456.

April 1988
Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz identifies the Iran Teyfouri as one of the Iranian ships involved in transporting North Korean missiles to Iran. According to Aziz, the Iran Teyfouri is in Bandar-e Abbas during late February 1988 with 80 HY-2 Silkworm and 40 Scud-B missiles. According to an article in Jane's Intelligence Review, Aziz's assertion appears incorrect. According to Lloyd's of London shipping records, the Iran Teyfouri was at the following locations: Surabaya, Japan from 25-26 January 1988; Bandar Shahid Rejaie, Iran on 9 February; Singapore from 29 February to 1 March; and Pusan, Republic of Korea from 9 to 11 March. However, the article suggests that the Iran Teyfouri could have delivered North Korean missiles while en route to Bandar Shahid Rejaie from Surabaya, then shipped them to a North Korean port unannounced or while meeting a North Korean ship at sea.
—"The Iranian Connection," Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 May 1989, p. 206, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

April 1988
The Iranian Ambassador to China claims that Iran is able to produce Silkworm missiles by using the design of a missile that was taken from Iraq. This claim is later found to be untrue. This is, however, the first time Iran's intent to have an indigenous missile program is mentioned.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 60.

1 April 1988
Iran has launched 258 missiles at Iraq, 61 of which were the Scud-Mod. B.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 56.

1 April 1988
China and North Korea sell Iran 80 surface-to-surface Silkworm missiles and 40 Soviet-made Scud missiles, according to the United Arab Emirates newspaper Al-Ittihad. The missiles are reportedly delivered to the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Abbas.
—"Government Buys Chinese, N. Korean Missiles," Agence France Presse, 1 April 1988.

1 April 1988
Iran launches a missile attack on Kirkuk, Iraq's northern oil capital. Iraq says that only one missile was launched. The strike on Kirkuk is announced after Iraq declares it will halt its missile attacks on Iranian cities for three days beginning 1 April, because Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal is visiting Baghdad. Iran also launches five unknown missiles at Basra, Iraq.
—Associated Press, "Iran bombs Iraq oil city, charges gases killed 75," San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 April 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

4 April 1988
Iraq says an Iranian missile strikes the city of Kirkuk, 225km north of Baghdad around 9:00 a.m. Iran says the missile was aimed at a refinery in Kirkuk.
—Associated Press, "Many civilians killed as missile hits Iraq city," San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 April 1988, p. A3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>; W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

5 April 1988
Various Iranian missile units fire 17 missiles at different targets in Iraq. Twelve of the missiles are launched at Umm Qasr, killing 53 people. Iraq says that at least one of these landed at 10:30 a.m. Umm Qasr is the site of Iraq's only operating naval base.
Iran's army ground troops launch three unknown missiles at Basra at 11:40 p.m., 11:50 p.m., and midnight. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launch two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 8:15 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. Iraq says that one missile was launched at Baghdad, at 8:35 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; "Iraq and Iran report exchange of missiles," Christian Science Monitor, 6 April 1988, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 April 1988
Various Iranian missile units fire 17 missiles at different targets in Iraq. Nine of the missiles are launched at "military and economic centers" in Basra and Khanaqin. The Iranian army's ground forces launch four unknown missiles military facilities in Kani Kon, and two more at "military centers" in Basra. The missiles were launched at Basra at 12:45 and 1:50 a.m. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launches two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 4:19 and 4:20 p.m. Iraq says that one missile was fired at 4:36 p.m. Iranian time. [Note: Iran's time zone is 30 minutes ahead of Iraq's.]
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

7 April 1988
Iran launches 13 missiles at different targets in Iraq. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launch eight unknown missiles at Umm Qasr, and two Scuds at Baghdad. Iraq reports that one missile was launched at Baghdad at 2:01 p.m., Iraq time. [Note: Iran's time zone is 30 minutes ahead of Iraq's.] Iran's army ground forces fire three unknown missiles at Basra.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

7 April 1988
Iranian Defense Minister Brig. General Jalali says that a missile produced by the defense industries of Iran is tested. The missile, with a reported range of more than 130km, completes its final testing stages and will be ready for production at the end of April.
—"New Missile Nearly Ready for Production," Domestic Service (Tehran), 7 April 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-88-068, 8 April 1988, p. 53.

8 April 1988
Iran launches seven missiles at different targets in Iraq. Two unknown missiles are launched at Khanaqin at 5:45 a.m. and 5:50 a.m. The Islamic Republic Air Force fires one "long-range" missile at Al-Amarah at 7:45 a.m. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches two Scuds at Baghdad at 10:05 a.m. and 10:07 a.m. Two Scuds are fired at Mosul at 2:14 p.m. and 2:16 p.m. Iran has launched 67 missiles at Baghdad and other Iraqi cities since the "War of the Cities" resumed in February.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; "Iranian missiles hit Baghdad after Iraq fires at four cities," Los Angeles Times, 9 April 1988, p. 5, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

11 April 1988
Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Jalali says that Iran's Defense Industries Organization is making two missiles with a range of 130km and more. One of the missiles is known to be the Mushak and the other the North Korean Scud-Mod. B.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds. p. 55.

11 April 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force fires two Scud missiles at "two key military targets" in Baghdad, at 6:35 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; "Iran, Iraq Resume Attacks In 'War of the Cities," Washington Post, 12 April 1988, p. A16, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

12 April 1988
Iran fires one unknown missile at Al-Amarah, Iraq, at 5:01 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

13 April 1988
Iran launches four missiles at two Iraqi cities. The Islamic Republic Air Force launches two "long-range" missiles at Al-Amarah, Iraq, at 9:07 a.m. and 10:47 a.m. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Air Force launches two Scud missiles at Baghdad, at 10:10 p.m. Iraq says that only one missile was fired at Baghdad, at 10:28 p.m., Iran time. [Note: Iran's time zone is 30 minutes ahead of Iraq's.]
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

14 April 1988
Colonel Rahimi, Iran' First Deputy Minister of Defense, says that Iran has reached the capability of producing a missile with a 320km range, which is the Scud-Mod. B made by North Korea. It seems that the Iranians may have made the missile by putting together the parts supplied by North Korea, rather than making the whole missile indigenously.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 55.

15 April 1988
Iran's Ground Forces launch six unknown missiles "military and economic targets" in Basra, Khanaqin, and Ali Al-Gharbi, Iraq.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

16 April 1988
Iran launches two Scud missiles at Baghdad at 2:50, Iraq time. Iran does not confirm the attacks.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

18 April 1988
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) launch nine unknown missiles at Khanaqin and Basra, Iraq. Iran also launches one Scud missile at Baghdad at 4:20 p.m.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

18 April 1988
U.S.-Iranian tensions explode into missile warfare as the United States attacks two Iranian platforms in retaliation for a mine that blew a hole in a U.S. frigate last week in the Persian Gulf. The three-ship U.S. battle group comes under attack five times from Iran's Silkworm anti-ship missile batteries. At one point during the sea battle, the United States and Iran fire U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles at each other's vessels.
—Associated Press, "'Silkworm incoming' cry sailors in Iran attack," Toronto Star, 19 April 1988, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

19 April 1988
U.S. officials react warily to reports that the missiles fired on a U.S. battle group were Iranian Silkworm missiles. Pentagon spokesman Dan Howard says the United States lacks "positive evidence" that Silkworms were used. It is possible that the warning system of the USS Williams misidentified the incoming missiles. If it is determined that Iran did fire Silkworm missiles, some U.S. Navy officers believe the U.S. policy of retaliation for provocative acts might necessitate a strike against Iran's missile launch sites.
—Peter Grier, "If Iran fired Silkworms, will US feel need to escalate?" Christian Science Monitor, 20 April 1988, p. 3, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

20 April 1988
Iran fires one Scud missile at Iraq's Al-Wafrah oil field at 3:15 a.m., Iraq time. The missile lands in the Kuwaiti desert near Al-Wafrah, but causes no damage. The attack is the first in which Iran uses its longer-range Scud missiles against Iraq's gulf Arab allies.
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]; Reuters-AP, "Iran missile slams oilfield inside Kuwait," Toronto Star, 20 April 1988, p. A18, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

1 May 1988
Iran has launched a total of 447 missiles at Iraq, including 115 Scuds, since 12 March 1985 (the first missile attack against Iraq).
—W. Seth Carus, "Ballistic Missiles Fired in the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988," unpublished document, 9 May 1988 [expected to be published in 2002 in Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., Steven Zologa, and Stephen Sewell, Scud: Weapon of Terror (Darlington, VA: Darlington Press).]

May 1988
A "highly-placed Arab source" tells the Times that Qatar has bought Stinger missiles from Iran, and that the Stinger missiles are also on offer to another Gulf state.
—Andrew McEwen, "Tehran offers to sell banned Stinger missiles to Arab states in Gulf," The Times (London), 27 May 1988, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

May 1988
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Minister Mohsen Rafiqdust says that Iran is 70% self-sufficient in arms production. Don Kerr, an analyst for the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, says that Rafiqdust's claim seems accurate, but that more "exotic" weapons such as long-range missiles, fighter jets, and armored vehicles must still be imported by Iran. Among the arms Iran is believed to be making are several missiles, rockets, and remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs). Iran is producing the Oghab SSM, which has a range of 40km and has reportedly been used against Basra. Kerr says, however, that there is no indication that the use of the Oghab missile has "swayed anything." Iran is also producing copies of U.S.-designed TOW missiles and Soviet-designed Katyusha rockets. Iranian officials announced their production of RPVs in 1987, and Iraq is reported to have shot down three of them over the southern warfront. Iranian Prime Minister Mir Husayn Musavi says that Iran has begun serious studies of the U.S. Stinger missile for domestic production. Kerr says that, given Iran's current technological capability, Iran should be able to copy Stinger missiles in the not-too-distant future. He regards claims that Iran is producing copies of Soviet Scud-B missiles more dubious because of the complexity of the missile. Kerr says that production of small anti-tank weapons or anti-aircraft missiles, like the U.S. Redeye, are well within Iran's technical capabilities.
—Christian Howlett Spoor, "Iran said to be 70% self-sufficient in arms production," Christian Science Monitor, 25 May 1988, p. 11, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

2 June 1988
U.S. General George B. Crist, head of the U.S. Central Command, says that Iran is building a new Silkworm missile site complex at Kuhestak. He says that the Aegis-class missile cruiser Vincennes is deployed in the Gulf, partially because of the increase in Silkworm missile activity.
—Associated Press, "New Silkworm Missile Base Reported in Persian Gulf," Journal of Commerce, 2 June 1988, p. 1B, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

6 June 1988
The Chinese Foreign Ministry denies a U.S. newspaper report that Chinese-made Silkworm missiles arrived in Iran in May 1988, saying that China has tried to stop the flow of missile to Iran.
—"China Blocks Silkworms," Financial Times (London), 7 June 1988, p. 1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

31 June 1988
U.S. General George B. Crist, head of the U.S. Central Command, says a permanent Iranian Silkworm missile site is expected to become operational on the Strait of Hormuz in the fall of 1988. The United States is responding to the potential threat by stationing an Aegis class cruiser within range of the facility with orders to fire against any Silkworm launched, regardless of the missile's intended target.
—Molly Moore, "Gulf Missile Threat Seen Increasing; US Acts to Counter Bunkered Silkworms," Washington Post, 1 July 1988, p. A1, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

July 1988
The Mushak-160 is tested.
—Raytheon, "Strategic: Mushak 120," Missile Systems of the World (Raytheon, 1999), p. 456.

2 July 1988
The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas reports that Iran is about to conclude a deal with Israel to purchase the Jericho-1 missile through a third party.
—"Israel Reportedly to Sell Jericho-1 Missiles," MENA (Cairo), 2 July 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-88-131, 8 July 1988, p. 55.

13 July 1988
A senior U.S. State Department official says the United States has received unconfirmed reports that China is trying to sell M-9 ballistic missiles to Libya, Syria, Iran, and Pakistan.
—Susan F. Rasky, "Kuwaiti to Seek Reversal of Missile Ban," New York Times, 14 July 1988, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

31 July 1988
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) head Rafiqdust says that following a successful test firing of a 120km-range missile, manufactured by the Construction Jihad Ministry, the IRGC Ministry also successfully test-fires a missile with a range of 160km. Rafiqdust says the missile will be mass produced.
—"IRGC Minsiter Rafiqdust on New Missiles," Domestic Service (Tehran), 31 July 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-88-148, 1 August 1988, p. 52.

19 August 1988
Hashemi-Rafsanjani states that one of the missiles being produced in Iran is the Mushak missile, which is not only a missile but a missile family with different ranges. The designs for the Mushak family seem to have started between 1985 and 1986. One of the missiles has a proposed range of 130km, though it only reached 120km, and the other missile has a range of 160km. To distinguish them, they are named the Mushak-120 and the Mushak-160.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 61.

26 August 1988
U.S. Customs officials seize a shipment of ammonium per chlorate (AP) used as an oxidizer for solid fuel in Houston, Texas. This shipment was going to Iran.
—Kenneth R. Timmerman, Weapons of Mass Destruction The Case of Iran, Syria and Libya (Los Angeles: Simon Wiesenthal Center 1992), p. 26.

4 September 1988
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Minister Rafiqdust states that "two large munitions and casting factories" would be ready to produce the Mushak-160 and the TOW anti-tank missiles sometime next year.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 61.

24 September 1988
Iran's Center for War Research of the Reconstruction Jihad testing of the "largest and longest-range" domestically-produced missile is complete. The Center is reportedly preparing for mass production of the missile. The announcement is made during Holy Defense Week.
—"Testing of 'Longest-Range' Missiles Completed," Domestic Service (Tehran), 24 September 1988; in FBIS Document FBIS-NES-88-186, p. 62.

26 October 1988
Majid Modaressi is found guilty by a federal jury for conspiring to smuggle sensitive defense equipment and missile parts to Iran. Majid and his father, Ahmad, were arrested earlier in 1988 when they met with an undercover agent they believed to be a defense company executive to negotiate the sale of Stinger missiles and spare parts for F-4 and F-14 jets. Specifically, however, the pair was interested in buying twystron and klystron tubes. They said they intended to ship the tubes out of the country disguised as well-drilling equipment. Though the tubes have civilian uses, the prosecutor contends that the tubes were integral parts of the Hawk missile anti-aircraft system.
—Elizabeth Neuffer, "Iranian found guilty of plotting to smuggle; Sensitive defense equipment involved," Boston Globe, 27 October 1988, p. 70, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

November 1988
There is a large military exhibition in Tehran. At this exhibit, Iran shows off its short-range surface-to-surface missiles named the Oghab, "Shahin 333," and the Ran.
—Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., "Iran's Missile Development," The International Missile Bazaar: The New Suppliers Network (San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994), William C. Potter and Harlan W. Jencks, eds., p. 62.

4 November 1988
Two Nobel Kemi employees, a Swedish arms subsidiary of Nobel Industries group, and a private businessman are charged with selling 1,600 tons of ammunition and propellants worth SKr 150 million to countries such as Iran, Syria, and Egypt between 1981 and 1985, in defiance of Swedish law, which bans arms sales to the Middle East and countries at war or in areas of conflict. Mats Lundberg and Karl-Erik Schmitz admit selling ammunition to off-limits countries such as Iran via intermediary counties such as Yugoslavia and Italy, but maintain that the Swedish authorities were aware of their actions and gave the deals their tacit approval. When customs officers seized documents in 1986, they claimed they had uncovered an unofficial club of ammunitions companies across Europe, which combined to supply huge orders for Iran. Schmitz says that in one instance, he was contacted by the Yugoslavs to buy ammunition for resale to Iran, which was nicknamed "Nicholas" by club members as opposed to "Charlie" for Iraq. The ammunition was then sold—unprocessed—by Yugoslavia to Iran in contravention to Swedish law.
—Sara Webb, "Swedish Community Closes Ranks Around Arms Companies," Financial Times, 4 November 1988, p. 2, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

7 November 1988
Ahmad Modaressi is sentenced to 14 months in prison and his son, Majid, receives a sentence of six months in prison for attempting to illegally export components of Hawk missile systems to Iran.
—John H. Kennedy, "Iranian man, son receive prison terms in arms plot," Boston Globe, 8 November 1988, p. 31, in Lexis-Nexis, <http://www.lexis-nexis.com>.

Late 1988
North Korea and Iran establish a secret, joint military commission to facilitate military cooperation.
—Steven Emerson, "The Postwar Scud Boom," Wall Street Journal, 10 July 1991, p. A12.

	Updated February 2006