Gulf War Timeline

Coalition forces launched a massive aerial bombardment of Iraq and Kuwait, beginning with strikes on Baghdad broadcast live on CNN. Over 100,000 sorties targeted command centers, air defenses, bridges, and military installations, achieving near-total air supremacy within weeks.

Image source: Gulf War air campaign

Iraq launched dozens of Scud missiles at Israeli cities, hoping to provoke retaliation that would fracture the Arab-led coalition. Under American pressure, Israel refrained from retaliating, while US Patriot missiles were deployed to intercept incoming Scuds.

Image source: Scud missile

Iraqi forces launched their first major ground offensive, briefly capturing the Saudi town of Khafji. Saudi and Qatari forces, supported by US Marines and air power, recaptured the town after three days of fighting, inflicting heavy Iraqi casualties.

Image source: Battle of Khafji

An airstrike on the Amiriya civilian shelter in Baghdad killed over 400 civilians, becoming one of the most controversial incidents of the air war. Coalition bombing also systematically destroyed Iraq's power grid, water treatment facilities, and communications networks.

Image source: Amiriyah shelter bombing

Operation Desert Sabre began with a massive flanking maneuver through the desert west of Kuwait. Marine and Arab coalition forces drove north into Kuwait City while armored units swept around Iraqi defenses, encircling hundreds of thousands of Republican Guard troops.

Image source: Liberation of Kuwait campaign

Coalition aircraft attacked retreating Iraqi military convoys fleeing Kuwait along Highway 80 toward Basra, destroying hundreds of vehicles and killing many soldiers. The images of devastation sparked international controversy over attacks on withdrawing forces.

Image source: Highway of Death

Kuwaiti and coalition forces retook Kuwait City, raising the Kuwaiti flag over the emir's palace. The exiled government of Emir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah began planning its return as resistance fighters celebrated in the streets.

Exactly 100 hours after the ground offensive began, President Bush announced a unilateral ceasefire, declaring Kuwait liberated. Saddam Hussein's regime survived, a decision that would shape Middle East politics for decades.

Encouraged by American calls to rise up, Shia Arabs in southern Iraq and Kurds in the north revolted against Saddam Hussein's regime. The uprisings were brutally crushed by Republican Guard forces, creating humanitarian crises along Iraq's borders.

Image source: 1991 Iraqi uprisings

General Norman Schwarzkopf met with Iraqi commanders at Safwan, Iraq, to formalize ceasefire terms, including the return of prisoners of war and establishment of demilitarized zones. The meeting set conditions for a permanent peace agreement.

Resolution 687 formally established the ceasefire, required Iraq to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programs under UNSCOM inspections, recognized Kuwait's borders, and created the UN Compensation Fund for damages caused by the invasion.

A coalition force deployed to northern Iraq to protect Kurdish refugees and deliver humanitarian aid. A no-fly zone was established above the 36th parallel, enforced continuously until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Image source: Operation Provide Comfort

The United Nations Special Commission began inspecting and dismantling Iraq's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs. Inspections continued throughout the 1990s amid repeated confrontations with Saddam Hussein's government over access to sites.

The last of more than 600 Kuwaiti oil wells ignited by retreating Iraqi forces was capped, ending months of catastrophic environmental damage. Smoke plumes darkened skies across the region, and firefighting teams from around the world worked for nearly ten months.

Image source: Kuwaiti oil fires

Tens of thousands of Gulf War veterans began reporting chronic symptoms including fatigue, joint pain, and cognitive difficulties, a condition known as Gulf War syndrome. Potential causes studied included exposure to pesticides, depleted uranium, nerve gas, and vaccines.

Image source: Gulf War syndrome

Kuwait commemorated the first anniversary of its liberation with national celebrations. February 26 became Liberation Day, a permanent national holiday marking the restoration of Kuwaiti sovereignty.

Image source: Kuwait

The US, UK, and France established a no-fly zone below the 32nd parallel in southern Iraq to protect Shia populations. Operation Southern Watch enforced the zone, leading to years of low-level conflict with Iraqi air defenses.

Image source: Iraqi no-fly zones conflict

Kuwaiti authorities foiled an alleged Iraqi plot to assassinate former President George H. W. Bush during his visit to Kuwait using a car bomb. In response, the US launched missile strikes against Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad in June 1993.

Image source: George H. W. Bush