The Siege of Basra, code-named Operation Karbala-5 (Persian: عملیات کربلای 5 ) or The Great Harvest (Arabic: الحصاد الاكبر ) , was an offensive operation carried out by Iran in an effort to capture the Iraqi port city of Basra in early 1987. This battle, known for its extensive casualties and ferocious conditions, was the biggest battle of the war and proved to be ...