A report on Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Iran–Iraq War and Saudi Arabia

Location of Iraq (green) and Kuwait (orange)

Top-left to bottom-right: Iranian child soldier on the frontlines

Iranian soldier in a trench wearing a gas mask to guard against Iraqi chemical attacks

Port quarter view of the USS Stark listing to port after being mistakenly struck by an Iraqi warplane

Pro-Iraq MEK forces killed during Iran's Operation Mersad

Iraqi prisoners of war after the recapture of Khorramshahr by Iranian forces

ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun being used by the Iranian Army

The Basra Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in 1897. After the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of 1913, Kuwait was established as an autonomous kaza, or district, of the Ottoman Empire and a de facto protectorate of Great Britain.

Meeting of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Houari Boumédiène and Saddam Hussein (left to right) during the Algiers Agreement in 1975.

April Glaspie's first meeting with Saddam Hussein

Ruhollah Khomeini rose to power after the Iranian Revolution.

An Iraqi Type 69 tank on display at the site of the Al-Qurain Martyrdom

Location of Khuzestan Province in Iran which Iraq planned to annex

Anthropomorphic stela (4th millennium BC), sandstone, 57x27 cm, from El-Maakir-Qaryat al-Kaafa (National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh)

A Kuwait M-84 tank during Operation Desert Shield in 1990. Kuwait continues to maintain strong relations with the coalition of the Gulf War.

Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr, who was also commander-in-chief, on a Jeep-mounted 106mm recoilless anti-tank gun. Banisadr was impeached in June 1981.

Ground troop movements from 24–28 February 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

The Shatt al-Arab on the Iran–Iraq border

The "Worshipping Servant" statue (2500 BC), above 1 m in height, is much taller than any possible Mesopotamian or Harappan models. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Korea.

American tanks from the 3rd Armored Division during Operation Desert Storm.

Qaṣr Al-Farīd, the largest of the 131 rock-cut monumental tombs built from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD, with their elaborately ornamented façades, at the extensive ancient Nabatean archaeological site of Hegra located in the area of Al-'Ula within Al Madinah Region in the Hejaz. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.

More than 600 Kuwaiti oil wells were set on fire by retreating Iraqi forces, causing massive environmental and economic damage to Kuwait.

Iranian F-14A Tomcats equipped with AIM-54A, AIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles.

Colossal statue from Al-'Ula in the Hejaz (6th–4th century BC), it followed the standardized artistic sculpting of the Lihyanite kingdom, the original statue was painted with white

The oil fires caused were a result of the scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait

Resistance of the outnumbered and outgunned Iranians in Khorramshahr slowed the Iraqis for a month.

At its greatest extent, the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) covered 11100000 km2 and 62 million people (29 per cent of the world's population), making it one of the largest empires in history in both area and proportion of the world's population. It was also larger than any previous empire in history.

Iranian president Abulhassan Banisadr on the battlefront

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Massoud Rajavi, the leader of MEK and the National Resistance Council of Iran (NCRI) in 1988.

Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, the founding father and first king of Saudi Arabia

The surprise attack on H-3 airbase is considered to be one of the most sophisticated air operations of the war.

Iranian soldier holding an IV bag during the Iran–Iraq War

Map of Saudi Arabian administrative regions and roadways

Iranian Northrop F-5 aircraft during Iran-Iraq war

Map of oil and gas pipelines in the Middle-East

Iraqi T-62 tank wreckage in Khuzestan Province, Iran

King Fahd with US President Ronald Reagan and future US President Donald Trump in 1985. The US and Saudi Arabia supplied money and arms to the anti-Soviet mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan.

Iraqi soldiers surrendering after the Liberation of Khorramshahr

As many as 500 princes, government ministers, and business people, including Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, were arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities as part of the 2017 Saudi Arabian purge

Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh with Bogdan Borusewicz in the Polish Senate, 26 May 2014

An admonitory declaration issued from the Iraqi government in order to warn Iranian troops in the Iran–Iraq War. The statement says: "Hey Iranians! No one has been downtrodden in the country where Ali ibn Abi Ṭālib, Husayn ibn Ali and Abbas ibn Ali are buried. Iraq has undoubtedly been an honorable country. All refugees are precious. Anyone who wants to live in exile can choose Iraq freely. We, the Sons of Iraq, have been ambushing foreign aggressors. The enemies who plan to assault Iraq will be disfavoured by God in this world and the hereafter. Be careful of attacking Iraq and Ali ibn Abi Ṭālib! If you surrender, you might be in peace."

Verses from the Quran. The Quran is the official constitution of the country and a primary source of law. Saudi Arabia is unique in enshrining a religious text as a political document.

95,000 Iranian child soldiers were made casualties during the Iran–Iraq War, mostly between the ages of 16 and 17, with a few younger.

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, 21 May 2017

U.S. President Barack Obama meets King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, July 2014

Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is named after a Saudi king. The kingdom is a strong ally of Pakistan. WikiLeaks claimed that Saudis are "long accustomed to having a significant role in Pakistan's affairs".

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir with then British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (now Prime Minister) in London, 16 October 2016

Iraqi POW who was shot by Iranian troops after they conquered the Iraqi Majnoon oil field in October 1984

Major Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict locations

Iranian troops fire 152 mm D-20 howitzer

Flag of Al-Qaeda, a transnational terrorist group formed by Osama bin Laden, a Saudi Arabian national of Yemeni and Syrian extraction who was stripped of his Saudi passport in 1994.

Battle of the Marshes Iran front 1983 rest after exchange of fire 152 mm D-20 H

"The Saudi pilots training in Italy 1935"—a scene from 'Our Eagles', one of four video wall shows made for the Royal Saudi Air Force Museum

Operation Earnest Will: Tanker convoy No. 12 under US Navy escort (21 October 1987)

Saudi soldiers from the First Airborne Brigade.

A map indicating the attacks on civilian areas of Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait targeted during the "War of the Cities".

Deera Square, central Riyadh. It is a former site of public be-headings.

Iraqi commanders discussing strategy on the battlefront (1986)

Iranian President Ali Khamenei on the battlefront during the Iran–Iraq War

Harrat Khaybar seen from the International Space Station. Saudi Arabia is home to more than 2000 dormant volcanoes. Lava fields in Hejaz, known locally by their Arabic name of harrat (the singular is harrah), form one of Earth's largest alkali basalt regions, covering some 180000 km2, an area greater than the state of Missouri.

Operation Dawn 8 during which Iran captured the Faw Peninsula.

A proportional representation of Saudi Arabia exports, 2019

Iranian soldier killed during the Iran–Iraq War with Rouhollah Khomeini's photo on his uniform

Office of Saudi Aramco, the world's most valuable company and the main source of revenue for the state

The People's Mujahedin of Iran, supported by Saddam, started a ten-day operation after both the Iranian and Iraqi governments accepted UN Resolution 598. Casualty estimates range from 2,000 to 10,000.

The hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims.

Adnan Khairallah, Iraqi Defense Minister, meeting with Iraqi soldiers during the war

King Abdullah Financial Center is one of the largest investment centres in the Middle East, located in Riyadh

IRGC navy speedboats using swarm tactics

Al-Hasa is known for its palm trees and dates. Al-Hasa has over 30 million palm trees which produce over 100 thousand tons of dates every year.

An Iranian soldier wearing a gas mask during the Iran–Iraq War.

Saudi Arabia population density (people per km2)

The Iranian frigate IS Sahand burns after being hit by 20 U.S. air launched missiles and bombs, killing a third of the crew, April 1988

Iranian soldiers captured during Iraq's 1988 offensives

The Al-Yamamah Private University in Riyadh

USS Vincennes in 1987 a year before it shot down Iran Air Flight 655

UIS literacy rate Saudi Arabia population, 15 plus, 1990–2015

MEK Soldiers killed in Operation Mersad in 1988

Historical development of life expectancy in Saudi Arabia

Al-Shaheed Monument in Baghdad was erected to commemorate the fallen Iraqi soldiers during the war.

Supplicating pilgrim at Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām (The Sacred Mosque) in Mecca. The Kaaba is the cubic building in front of the pilgrim.

Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the Islamic holy city of Mecca

Sarah Attar is a track and field athlete who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics as one of the first two female Olympians representing Saudi Arabia.

An Iranian soldier's funeral in Mashhad, 2013

The Masjid al-Haram is the holiest Islamic site, located in Mecca

An Iraqi Mil Mi-24 on display at the military museum of Sa'dabad Palace in Iran

The Mosque of the Prophet in Medina containing the tomb of Muhammad

President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush work in the Oval Office of the White House, 20 July 1984.

King Abdullah practising falconry, a traditional pursuit in the country

USS Stark (FFG-31) listing following two hits by Exocet missiles.

Arabic coffee is a traditional beverage in Arabian cuisine

Victims of the 1987 chemical attack on Sardasht, West Azerbaijan, Iran

Uruguay – Saudi Arabia match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Damage to a mosque in Khoramshahr, Iran, the city that was invaded by Iraq in September 1980

The 3000-year-old ancient historical city of Dumat al-Jandal in Al Jawf Province

Jabal Sawda ({{convert|3000|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or}}) located in the 'Asir subrange of the Sarat Mountains

Abha City, located {{convert|2270|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level in the 'Asir Region

Dhi 'ain village located in Al Bahah Province

The desert of Al-Rub' Al-Khali (The Empty Quarter)

Saad Khader from left and right Mohammad Al-Ali in 1979

A variety of speculations have been made regarding the true intents behind the Iraqi move, including Iraq's inability to pay Kuwait more than US$14 billion that it had borrowed from Kuwait to finance the Iran–Iraq War, and Kuwait's surge in petroleum production levels which kept revenues down for Iraq.

- Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

The invasion started on 2 August 1990, and within two days, most of the Kuwaiti military was either overrun by the Iraqi Republican Guard or retreated to neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

- Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

In the 1980s, Saudi Arabia spent $25 billion in support of Saddam Hussein in the Iran–Iraq War; however, Saudi Arabia condemned the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and asked the US to intervene.

- Saudi Arabia

The Security Council did not identify Iraq as the aggressor of the war until 11 December 1991, some 11 years after Iraq invaded Iran and 16 months following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

- Iran–Iraq War

Iraq's main financial backers were the oil-rich Persian Gulf states, most notably Saudi Arabia ($30.9 billion), Kuwait ($8.2 billion), and the United Arab Emirates ($8 billion).

- Iran–Iraq War

3 related topics with Alpha

Clockwise from top: USAF F-15Es, F-16s, and an F-15C flying over burning Kuwaiti oil wells; British troops from the Staffordshire Regiment in Operation Granby; camera view from a Lockheed AC-130; the Highway of Death; M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle

Gulf War

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Donald Rumsfeld, US special envoy to the Middle East, meets Saddam Hussein on 19–20 December 1983.

Kuwaiti Armed Forces Chieftain main battle tanks

Kuwait Air Force McDonnell Douglas A-4KU Skyhawk ground-attack aircraft

Lion of Babylon main battle tanks, common Iraqi battle tank used in the Gulf War by the Iraqi Army.

An Iraqi Air Force Bell 214ST transport helicopter, after being captured by a US Marine Corps unit at the start of the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm

Kuwaiti Armed Forces M-84 main battle tanks

President Bush visiting American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, 1990

American F-15Es parked in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield

US Army soldiers from the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade during the Gulf War

Countries that deployed coalition forces or provided support (On behalf of Afghanistan, 300 Mujaheddin joined the coalition on 11 February 1991. Niger contributed 480 troops to guard shrines in Mecca and Medina on 15 January 1991.)

General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. and President George Bush visit US troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, 1990.

Dick Cheney meets with Prince Sultan, Minister of Defence and Aviation in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to handle the invasion of Kuwait.

Gen. Colin Powell (left), Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., and Paul Wolfowitz (right) listen as Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney addresses reporters regarding the 1991 Gulf War.

The USAF F-117 Nighthawk, one of the key aircraft used in Operation Desert Storm

Aftermath of Amiriyah shelter bombing by U.S. Air Force, which killed at least 408 civilians in Baghdad

An Iraqi T-54A or Type 59 tank lies destroyed after a coalition bombing attack during Operation Desert Storm.

Scud Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) with missile in upright position

Aftermath of an Iraq Armed Forces strike on US barracks

Military operations during Khafji's liberation

Marine Artillery played a huge factor in disrupting Iraqi counterattacks during the 1st Gulf War, February 1991.

Iraqi tanks destroyed by Task Force 1-41 Infantry, February 1991

Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment pose with a captured Iraqi tank, February 1991

An Iraqi Republican Guard T-55 tank destroyed by Task Force 1–41 Infantry, February 1991

American AH-64 Apache helicopters proved to be very effective weapons during the 1991 Gulf War.

4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (FWD) conducts artillery strikes on Iraqi positions during the 1st Gulf War. 4-3 FA was the primary fire support battalion for Task Force 1-41 during the 1st Gulf War, February 1991.

Battery C, 4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (FWD) moves into position to conduct fire missions during the Battle of Norfolk, February 1991.

U. S. M1A1 Abrams tanks move out on a mission during Desert Storm in 1991. A Bradley IFV and logistics convoy can be seen in the background.

A M109A2 howitzer belonging to Battery C, 4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (FWD) during the Gulf War, February 1991.

A M60A1 tank with a Track Width Mine Plow, Desert Storm February 1991

British Challenger 1 tanks during the 1st Gulf War. The British Challenger tank was the most efficient tank of the Gulf war suffering no losses while destroying approximately 300 Iraqi tanks during combat operations.

A destroyed Iraqi Army T-55 tank lies among the wreckage of many other Iraqi vehicles, such as trucks, cars and buses, somewhere along the Highway of Death in April 1991.

US M1A1 Abrams tanks from the 3rd Armored Division along the Line of Departure

Two Iraqi T-55 tanks lie abandoned near Kuwait City on 26 February 1991.

Ground troop movements 24–28 February 1991 during Operation Desert Storm

Iraqi T-62 knocked out by 3rd Armored Division fire

Aerial view of destroyed Iraqi T-72 tank, BMP-1 and Type 63 armored personnel carriers and trucks on Highway 8 in March 1991

Iraqi 'Saddam' main battle tank destroyed during Operation Desert Storm

A Bradley IFV burns after being hit by Iraqi T-72 fire.

Civilians and coalition military forces wave Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian flags as they celebrate the retreat of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Coalition troops from Egypt, Syria, Oman, France, and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm

Argentine Navy Alouette III helicopter on board, February 1991

Canadian CF-18 Hornets participated in combat during the Gulf War.

French and American soldiers inspecting an Iraqi Type 69 tank destroyed by the French Division Daguet during Operation Desert Storm

One of the Italian tornadoes used in the operation

British Army Challenger 1 main battle tank during Operation Desert Storm

Iraqi Kurds fleeing to Turkey shortly after the war

Sailors from a US Navy honor guard carry Navy pilot Scott Speicher's remains.

Approximate area and major clashes in which DU rounds were used

Destroyed Iraqi civilian and military vehicles on the Highway of Death

An armored bulldozer similar to the ones used in the attack

Oil well fires rage outside Kuwait City in 1991.

USS Missouri launching a Tomahawk missile. The Gulf War was the last conflict in which battleships were deployed in a combat role.

Military personnel examine the remains of a Scud.

The Gulf War was an armed campaign waged by a United States-led coalition of 35 countries against Iraq in response to the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait.

Different speculations have been made regarding the true intents behind the invasion, including Iraq's inability to pay Kuwait the more than US$14 billion that it had borrowed to finance its military efforts during the Iran–Iraq War, and Kuwait's surge in petroleum production levels which kept revenues down for Iraq.

Most of its debt was owed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Saddam in August 1998, preparing to deliver a speech for the 10th anniversary of the end of the Iran–Iraq War

Saddam Hussein

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Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003.

Saddam in his youth as a shepherd in his village, near Tikrit

Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party student cell, Cairo, in the period 1959–1963

Promoting women's literacy and education in the 1970s

Saddam talking to Michel Aflaq, the founder of Ba'athist thought, in 1988

Alexei Kosygin (left) and Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr signing the Iraqi–Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Co-Operation in 1972

Propaganda art to glorify Saddam after Iran–Iraq War, 1988.

Saddam Hussein and al-Bakr, de jure president of Iraq alongside Hafez al-Assad of Syria at an Arab Summit in Baghdad in November 1978

Saddam greeting Carlos Cardoen, a Chilean businessman who provided Iraq with weapons during the war in the 1980s

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq April Glaspie meets Saddam for an emergency meeting

Iraqi stamp about the Arab Cooperation Council (ACC), founded 1989 by Saleh of (North) Yemen, king Hussein of Jordan, Saddam Hussein and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt

Saddam addresses state television, in January 2001

Statue of Saddam being toppled in Firdos Square after the invasion

Saddam is discovered and interrogated by American soldiers, December 2003

Hussein after being captured and shaven to confirm his identity

Saddam Hussein's sons Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle in Mosul on 22 July 2003.

He suppressed several movements, particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements which sought to overthrow the government or gain independence, respectively, and maintained power during the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War.

Saddam's rule was marked by numerous human rights abuses, including an estimated 250,000 arbitrary killings and bloody invasions of neighboring Iran and Kuwait.

Taken together, Iraq and Kuwait sat on top of some 20 percent of the world's known oil reserves; Saudi Arabia held another 25 percent.

Kuwait

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Country in Western Asia.

Marine Museum in Kuwait City. Demonstrates the founding of Kuwait as a sea port for merchants.

Unofficial map of Kuwait in 1803 according to Scottish geographer and cartographer Alexander Keith Johnston

HMS Victorious taking part in Operation Vantage in July 1961

Kuwaiti oil fires set by retreating Iraqi forces in 1991.

A satellite image of Kuwait reveals its desert topography.

Kuwait shares land borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and maritime borders with Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

The Kuwait National Assembly is the unicameral legislature of Kuwait.

The Seif Palace, the original seat of the Government of Kuwait.

Kuwait's then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammad Al Khalid Al Sabah with then US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in 2017.

Al Hamra Tower is the tallest sculpted tower in the world.

A proportional representation of Kuwait exports, 2019

Kuwaiti youth celebrating Kuwait's independence and liberation, 2011.

A theatrical play titled "Fateh Masr" at Al Mubarikya school in the 1940s.

The 372 m tall Kuwait Telecommunications Tower (left) is the main communication tower of Kuwait.

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest territorial extent.

The Seleucid Empire at its greatest extent.

It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south.

In 1990, after oil production disputes with neighbouring Iraq, Kuwait was invaded, and later annexed into one of Iraq's governorates by Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

During the Iran–Iraq War, Kuwait supported Iraq.