Marking the 35th Anniversary of the Gulf War
By Sharon Hobson and Duncan (Dusty) Miller, 14 June 2026
[This is an excerpt of an article in Vol. 22, No. 1 of Canadian Naval Review. For the full free access article, click on the link below.]
Given recent events in the Middle East, it is more important than ever to remember the events of the recent past in the region. The year 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the Gulf War. The war was triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait at the beginning of August 1990. In response, the United Nations Security Council passed a series of resolutions condemning the invasion and calling for Iraq to withdraw – it did not. This resulted in the formation of a coalition of states, led by the United States, to force Iraq to withdraw. Included in this coalition was Canada. This article traces the origins of the war, and the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) participation in it – co-written by one of the RCN participants. A slightly revised version of this article will appear as the introduction to the new edition of the book Canada in the Gulf War to be published this fall.
Iraq’s decision to invade Kuwait in August 1990 should not have been a surprise. At the end of the 1980-88 war between Iraq and Iran, Iraq found itself heavily in debt to Kuwait and other gulf states. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein asked them to forgive the debt but they refused. Hussein had additional issues with Kuwait, among them a territorial dispute, an accusation that Kuwait was engaging in diagonal drilling under the border and stealing oil from Iraq’s Rumaila oilfield, and the lure of Kuwait’s substantial oil reserves and seaports. Feeling confident of success with an armed force considered the fifth largest in the world, he made the decision to invade.
This decision was partly based on his assessment that the United States and others would not oppose him. He had already positioned an invasion force on Iraq’s southern border and the international community had not shown any great concern about this. In fact, most countries viewed the Iraqi threat as just another phase in ongoing Middle East struggles warranting little more than symbolic gestures of response. To that effect, at the end of July, the US Navy (USN) engaged in joint exercises in the gulf with warships of the United Arab Emirates, and the USS Independence carrier battle group was directed to the region, with the expectation that a limited show of force by the West would be sufficient to deter any aggressive moves by Iraq.
Post continues on the Broadsides Forum
Trending now:
- Marking the 35th Anniversary of the Gulf War
- The DDGH(A) and the Perils of Designing Warships from a Map Table
- CANSEC Exposes Increased Interest in the Continental Defence Corvette
- Australia and Submarines
- CNR sponsors: visit page
Current Issue: Vol. 22 No. 1 (2026)
It’s that time again! Soon there’ll be a new issue of CNR hitting the streets. To whet your appetite, here is a preview of what’s in the issue.
As usual, the issue contains a smorgasbord of material, with something for everyone. Our first article takes us to China and outlines how it has become a shipbuilding powerhouse. The second article discusses Canada’s participation in the Gulf War, as we reach the 35th anniversary of the conflict. The third article argues that RCN veterans should be seen as strategic assets and treated and trained as such. The final essay outlines some of the defence capabilities that are being ordered/built, particularly relating to the Arctic, even in the absence of a new defence policy to provide strategic direction.
And, of course, we have our usual Making Waves commentaries. In response to enthusiastic discussion on Broadsides (our online discussion forum), we have a commentary about whether geography is destiny for Canada – i.e., as a small (in terms of population) country next door to the United States, does Canada have options for defence? There’s a commentary asking if naval art is dead, a commentary about naval capabilities for the Arctic, and a commentary about how the RCN can make the navy more visible to Canadians.
And, of course, we have our regular columns. “A View from the West” looks at whether China is indeed capable of/intending to invade Taiwan in 2027. “Dollars and Sense” examines the Defence Industrial Strategy, and “Warship Developments” updates us on recent naval developments.
Naturally, we have our usual amazing photos!
Stay tuned. In a few weeks, the issue will be in the mailbox of people who are lucky enough to be subscribers! It’s not too late for you to subscribe. See here for the Table of Contents.
CNR resources
- CNR Archives
- Subject Index for CNR Articles
- Broadsides Forum - Join the Discussion
- Submissions to Canadian Naval Review
- Subscriptions - unlock access to all CNR materials
- Sponsor page
- Free CNR articles and PDF downloads
- Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn
- Donate to CNR
- Special offer
Read more: CNR Archives (60+ magazines in PDF) and Subject Index (600+ articles)
Looking for Books about Maritime Matters?
Over the last 20 years, Canadian Naval Review has published over 180 book reviews. These books cover a variety of topics but they all relate to maritime matters, history, or security and defence at sea. This is an amazing resource. Go through the list of reviews, pick out a few books that look interesting, read the reviews, and then order the books from your nearest bookstore or from the publisher. See the list of book reviews at https://www.navalreview.ca/book-reviews/