Gulf War
The 1991 coalition air and ground campaign to eject Iraq from Kuwait.
Last refreshed: 20 April 2026
Why do Lowdown analysts keep comparing Iran 2025 to the 1991 Gulf War?
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Iran Conflict 2026- How is the 2025 Iran strike campaign like the 1991 Gulf War?
- Both relied on heavy penetrators against hardened nuclear sites and a Coalition enforcing reconstruction denial. The differences are duration, regional footprint and the absence of a ground phase in 2025.Source: background
- What did the 1991 Gulf War do to oil prices?
- Brent Crude fell roughly 30% in the days after the Ceasefire, the largest short drop on record until the March 2026 Iran Ceasefire rumour produced a bigger one.Source: background
- Who led the 1991 Gulf War coalition?
- The United States led a 35-nation Coalition under UN Security Council Resolution 678. Combat forces were hosted by Saudi Arabia.Source: background
- Did the 1991 strikes destroy Iraq's nuclear programme?
- No. UNSCOM inspections 1991-1998 revealed that bombing understated damage and substantial enriched uranium survived. The programme was dismantled by the inspection regime, not the strikes.Source: background
Background
The 1991 Gulf War is the default historical parallel Lowdown analysts reach for when framing the current Iran campaign. Its 42-day air phase against Iraqi nuclear and military infrastructure established the doctrine of striking hardened targets with heavy penetrators and then denying reconstruction access.
A 35-nation US-led Coalition prosecuted Operation Desert Storm from 17 January to 28 February 1991 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The air campaign targeted the Tarmiya and Al Atheer nuclear sites; UNSCOM's inspection regime then ran from 1991 to 1998. Post-war assessment revealed damage had been understated and substantial Iraqi nuclear material survived the bombing.
The Ceasefire also set the template for the oil-price correction that followed Operation Rising Lion and Operation Midnight Hammer: Brent fell roughly 30% within days of Coalition dominance being declared, the single largest single-day drop in the futures market's history until March 2026.