This is the third Gulf war and umpteenth outbreak of conflict since the United States took over as the dominant power and influence in the Middle East at the end of the cold war. The first Gulf warThe first Gulf war, in 1990-91, at least had the advantage of being of a containable scope, purpose and duration. View image in fullscreen US 1st Cavalry Division troops deploy across the Saudi desert in November 1990 during preparations before the Gulf War. The second Gulf warIn the second Gulf war, known as the Iraq war, from 2003-11, George W Bush determined Saddam must go because of his presumed possession of weapons of mass destruction. By comparison, in the run-up to the attack on Iran the Trump administration has prized deceit and surprise.

Source: The Guardian March 08, 2026 14:35 UTC