DESERT STORM

?? THE GULF WAR (1990–1991) | OPERATION DESERT STORM The Gulf War, also known as the Persian Gulf War, was a major international conflict that took place between August 1990 and February 1991. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces under the leadership of Saddam Hussein invaded neighbouring Kuwait. The invasion shocked the international community and triggered an immediate response from the United Nations, which condemned the occupation and demanded the withdrawal of Iraqi troops. As tensions escalated, an international coalition led by the United States began deploying hundreds of thousands of military personnel to Saudi Arabia under Operation Desert Shield. The coalition included forces from dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy and many others. Months of diplomatic efforts and military preparations followed. However, Iraq refused to withdraw from Kuwait, and the situation moved closer to a full-scale military confrontation. On January 17, 1991, coalition forces launched Operation Desert Storm, beginning with a massive aerial campaign against Iraqi military infrastructure, air defences and strategic positions. Coalition aircraft dominated the skies, while Iraqi forces faced an increasingly difficult military situation. On February 24, 1991, the coalition launched its ground offensive. Armoured formations, mechanised infantry, artillery and multinational forces advanced into Kuwait and Iraq. After approximately 100 hours of ground combat, Iraqi resistance collapsed and Kuwait was liberated. On February 28, 1991, a ceasefire was declared, bringing the major combat operations to an end. The war left behind enormous consequences for the region, including destroyed infrastructure, displaced civilians, environmental damage and a new political and military landscape in the Middle East. THE GULF WAR WAS MORE THAN A MILITARY CAMPAIGN. IT WAS A TURNING POINT IN MODERN HISTORY. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ? CO