Final answer:
The outcome of the Iran-Iraq war was significant losses for both countries without any concrete territorial gains. It resulted in over a million casualties and considerable economic costs, and ended with a UN-brokered cease-fire in 1988.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effects of the Iran-Iraq war, which lasted from 1980 to 1988, were far-reaching and devastating for both nations involved. Rather than territorial gains, the war resulted in significant losses for both Iran and Iraq. This prolonged conflict led to over a million casualties combined and had a financial cost of more than one hundred billion dollars.
The war originated from a dispute over the Shatt al-Arab waterway but quickly escalated beyond border disagreements, with tensions fueled by ethnic and religious differences, as well as deep-seated regional power dynamics.
The United States, amid concerns over the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath, provided tentative support to Iraq. The war ended with a UN-arranged cease-fire with neither side having made any significant gains. This result suggests that the correct answer to the question is c) Both countries suffered significant losses.