Timeline of the Persian Gulf War

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Fighter airplane" data-width="900" data-height="675" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">U.S. Department of Defense</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph"></p><span class="MOD"></span></div><ul class="list-unstyled md-mendel-list"><li><h2>August 2, 1990</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Iraq</a> invades and annexes <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuwait" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kuwait</a>. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Security-Council" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">UN Security Council</a> passes Resolution 660, condemning the invasion and demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-1"></span></li><li><h2>August 5, 1990</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. President <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-H-W-Bush" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">George H.W. Bush</a> gives a speech in which he declares “this will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait.”</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-2"></span></li><li><h2>August 1990</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Secretary of Defense <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dick-Cheney" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dick Cheney</a> and General <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Norman-Schwarzkopf" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Norman Schwarzkopf</a>, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, initiate planning for operations to defend <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saudi-Arabia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saudi Arabia</a> from a possible assault by Iraq. Troops and equipment for U.S. air and ground forces begin to arrive in Saudi Arabia.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-3"></span></li><li><h2>October 1990</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. military planners begin to plan an offensive to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-4"></span></li><li><h2>November 29, 1990</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">The UN Security Council issues Resolution 678, calling for the use of “all necessary means” to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait if it has not done so by January 15, 1991.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-5"></span></li><li><h2>January 9, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baker" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">James Baker</a>, the U.S. Secretary of State, meets with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tariq-Aziz" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tariq Aziz</a>, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, in Geneva in a fruitless effort to resolve the crisis peacefully.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-6"></span></li><li><h2>January 12, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">With the military buildup in Saudi Arabia well under way and the January 15 deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait approaching, the U.S. Congress passes a resolution authorizing the use of military force.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-7"></span></li><li><h2>January 15, 1991 </h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">UN Security Council deadline passes.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-8"></span></li><li><h2>January 17, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">In the early morning of January 17. the U.S. and its coalition of allies launch a campaign of air and missile attacks on targets in Iraq and Kuwait. The campaign continues for several weeks, damaging or destroying Iraq’s air defenses, communications, military infrastructure, oil infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-9"></span></li><li><h2>January 18, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Iraq retaliates by firing missiles at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Israel</a> and Saudi Arabia. There are no deaths and only a few wounded. Mindful of the need to preserve the international coalition—which includes numerous Arab countries—Israel refrains from retaliating. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-10"></span></li><li><h2>Early February 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. and allied forces increasingly focus their attacks on Iraq’s ground forces in preparation for a ground assault. Special Operations soldiers begin to infiltrate into Kuwait and Iraq. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-11"></span></li><li><h2>February 24, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. and allies begin ground offensive, crossing into Iraq and Kuwait around 4:00 AM. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-12"></span></li><li><h2>February 25, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">A Scud missile fired from Iraq destroys a barracks used by U.S. troops in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-eight Americans are killed and about 100 are wounded.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-13"></span></li><li><h2>February 26, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Iraqi president <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saddam-Hussein" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saddam Hussein</a> announces that Iraq will withdraw from Kuwait immediately but does not renounce Iraq’s claim to Kuwait. U.S. and allied forces bomb a convoy of retreating Iraqi troops, killing hundreds. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-14"></span></li><li><h2>February 27, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">U.S. and allied forces enter <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuwait-capital" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kuwait City</a>. U.S. President George Bush declares the suspension of offensive combat operations against Iraq. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-15"></span></li><li><h2>February 28, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Iraq announces that it will accept all UN resolutions regarding the conflict. </p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-16"></span></li><li><h2>March 3, 1991</h2><div><p class="topic-paragraph">Iraq accepts the terms of a cease-fire agreement presented by General Schwarzkopf.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-17"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"List","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":6414,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/list-page.js?v=3.133.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Timeline of the Persian Gulf War | Britannica