Iraqi invasion of Iran (1980) Stalemate (1981) Iranian offensives to free Iranian territory (1981–82) Iranian offensives in Iraq (1982–84) Iranian offensives in Iraq (1985–87) Final stages (1988) Tanker War International incidents Operation Eager Glacier was a secret U.S. effort to spy on Iran with aircraft in 1987 and 1988.
[2] Eager Glacier took place at the same time as other U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf, including Operation Earnest Will, the naval escort of Kuwaiti-owned tankers; Operation Prime Chance, the secret attempt to prevent Iranian forces from attacking Gulf shipping; and Operation Praying Mantis, the retaliation for the mining of the U.S. guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts.
Years after, on 22 July 1992, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William J. Crowe testified to the House Armed Services Committee regarding charges that the Pentagon had concealed evidence about the 1988 downing of an Iranian airliner by the U.S. Navy cruiser USS Vincennes.
As Crowe denied the coverup charges, he spoke briefly about Eager Glacier and other efforts to provide U.S. intelligence to Iraq.
"[3] The book No Higher Honor mentions how intelligence between pilots nearly cost them their lives, and "For those who had somehow failed to get the picture," it's what signaled the end of the operation.