Iraq’s long war in the 1980s saw Abadan and the surrounding region destroyed in the fighting. In the years since, fast private and state-linked construction projects rebuilt the area, amid complaints of shoddy construction practices. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people. Abadan previously has suffered through historic disasters as well. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex in the city killed hundreds. Anger over the blaze triggered unrest across oil-rich regions and helped lead to the Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
