Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, after accusing Kuwait of actions connected to disputed oil production and extraction. Iraqi forces began the invasion on August 2, 1990, quickly occupying the much smaller neighboring country.
Iraq claimed that Kuwait was using slant drilling to take oil from the Rumaila oil field, which crossed the Iraq–Kuwait border. Iraq also objected to Kuwait producing more oil than it believed OPEC agreements allowed, arguing that the resulting lower prices harmed Iraq’s already strained economy. Iraq had accumulated major debts during the Iran–Iraq War, including money owed to Kuwait.
The invasion triggered international condemnation and the Gulf War. The United Nations demanded Iraq’s withdrawal, and a U.S.-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces in February 1991 after roughly seven months of occupation. The oil-drilling allegations were part of Iraq’s justification, but historians generally describe the motives as broader and disputed.