Preparatory fire is a military term referring to a large volume of pre‑planned fire delivered at a specific time to support an offensive attack. During the Iran– Iraq War, both Iran and Iraq used this tactic extensively. Throughout the war, Iranian fire‑support units operated at full capacity to assist frontline forces and played a decisive role in the success of many operations. In turn, the Iraqi army often launched heavy, high‑volume preparatory fire before its counterattacks, inflicting significant damage on Iranian positions.

The purpose of preparatory fire is to disrupt enemy command and control, cut communications, break defensive organization, and neutralize the enemy’ s fire‑support capabilities. Basically, it is fire poured onto enemy positions to prepare the battlefield for an assault. In many armies around the world, preparatory fire may include chemical, nuclear, and non‑nuclear munitions delivered by naval, ground, or air forces. However, due to religious principles and international commitments banning the use of nuclear and chemical weapons, the Iranian armed forces did not employ such munitions.

Preparatory fire usually begins before an assault and follows a timed schedule based on the attacking unit’ s request. It may continue during the assault or afterward.

For a successful attack, preparatory fire is typically divided into several phases. The first phase aims to quickly suppress enemy fire‑support assets, command posts, communications, and observation systems. The second phase targets previously engaged positions such as defensive zones, troop concentrations, and reserve areas. The final phase includes all earlier targets plus forward defensive lines. Preparatory fire may be planned but not executed; the decision to fire or not, and its duration, rests with the attacking commander— usually based on recommendations from the artillery commander.

The duration of preparatory fire depends on past combat experience, the number of targets, available weapons and ammunition, and the needs of the maneuvering unit. Once the supported commander determines the duration, the artillery staff extracts all necessary information— fire units, timing, ammunition type, and quantity— from the fire tables and issues orders to the firing units. To prevent friendly fire on newly captured positions, the fire‑support planner must closely monitor the advance of friendly forces.

During the Iran– Iraq War, Iranian fire‑support units, using their technical expertise— especially in artillery— inflicted heavy losses on Iraqi forces in many operations. Since most Iranian offensives were conducted at night, preparatory fire was planned according to tactical needs but often executed only after the enemy detected the attack, in order to preserve surprise. This precise artillery fire significantly increased Iraqi casualties, prompting Iraq to launch intense airstrikes against Iranian artillery positions.

Because of its importance in weakening the enemy and enabling operational success, preparatory fire was included in the planning of nearly all major Iranian operations, such as Thamen al‑Aemmah (as), Tariq al‑Quds, Valfajr 8, Karbala 1, and Karbala 5. For example, during Operation Valfajr 8, as Iranian divers attacked Iraqi positions, the coordination between preparatory fire and ground assault created a dramatic scene: grenades exploding inside Iraqi guard posts lit them up for seconds before destroying them. The intense fire— combined with small‑arms fire— covered nearly twenty kilometers of the front, turning the quiet night into a terrifying landscape filled with smoke and explosions.

Failure to plan or properly coordinate preparatory fire can easily cause an attack to fail.

Throughout the war, Iraq— well supplied with weapons and ammunition— used massive preparatory fire against Iranian forces, causing heavy casualties. Many wartime documents describe the intensity of Iraqi fire. For example, on the seventh day of Operation Valfajr 8, reports noted: “ The enemy’ s preparatory fire is so heavy that dust and smoke cover a vast area of the ground and sky”. Likewise, as for Operation Karbala 8, we read, “ Iraqi fire was so intense that movement of infantry toward the frontline became nearly impossible”. Iraq also used chemical weapons as part of its preparatory fire. One report states: “ From midnight until 3:30 AM on April 11, 1987, Iraq launched a chemical attack along the frontline and rear areas— especially from Khorramshahr to Shalamcheh and the Five‑Sided region— firing a total of 400 rockets, aircraft‑dropped munitions, artillery shells, and mortars. Due to darkness and lack of prior warning, the attack caused heavy casualties. After the chemical strike, from 2:30 to 7 AM, Iraq used 45 artillery battalions to deliver preparatory fire”.

Unable to stop Iranian advances, Iraq frequently resorted to chemical weapons in its preparatory fire.⁠[1]