Iraq’s invasion of the oil-rich state of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, initiated one of the largest conflicts in the Middle East. The Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm (January 16 through February 28, 1991) was one of the largest multinational conflicts in that region up to that time. The effects of the war were not limited to Kuwait but extended to other countries in the region.

The conflict was shaped by many factors: technology, broad geopolitics, the United States’ relations with its regional allies, uncertainties following the end of the Cold War, and a shifting relationship with Saddam Hussein. Along with being the most technology-driven war in history, the Gulf War would become the most widely televised and viewed war until the Second ...