The Byzantine-Sassanid War of 602-628 was the last and most destructive of the series of wars fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire of Persia. The Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 was an eight-year war between the republics of Iran and Iraq, making it the longest war of the 20th century. The Byzantine-Sassanid War and the Iran-Iraq War were fought over trade, because the warring governments managed the need to control trade by fighting over vital areas of trade routes. The Byzantine Empire was the predominantly Greek-speaking continuation of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The Sasanian Empire was the last Iranian empire before the rise of Islam, ruled by the Sasanian dynasty from 224 AD to 651 AD. The Sasanian Empire, which succeeded the Parthian Empire, was recognized as a major power in Asia western and central, together with the Roman-Byzantine Empire, for a period of over 400 years. The Silk Road was a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction across regions of the Asian continent that connected the West and the East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks and soldiers from China to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time. It was the most important trade route at the time and was very important to both empires. The Silk Road was essentially the only source of trade during the Byzantine-Sassanid War. The war was fought for control of the Silk Road. The empire that gained control over the Silk Road would control trade and be the most powerful. This sparked a race to gain control over the Silk Road which resulted in the numerous battles that took place there. Transoxiana is the ancient name……middle of paper……y. The conflict lasted eight years and ended in a stalemate, involving the use of chemical weapons and ethnic violence against Iraqi Shiite Arabs, who were accused of collusion with Shiite Iran. Shatt Al-Arab was a disputed oil port in the Iran-Iraq war. They fought for it to gain the great wealth associated with it. The entire war was fought over control over the oil trade. Saddam Hussein would not have invaded Iran if it were not for the commercial advantages. The Shatt Al-Arab would not have been the subject of contention if it were not for its use in trade. These warring nations fought, centuries later, for control of vital trade routes. The victorious nations were rewarded with great wealth and control over their commercial industries. Both wars were incredibly similar, and although they occurred centuries apart, they were fought for the same reason: control of trade.