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The Persian Gulf War, or Operation Desert Storm, was waged in early 1991 between Iraq and a coalition of thirty-nine nations organized by the Unites States and the United Nations. Leading the coalition were the U.S., France, Great Britain, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
Iraq began the war by invading the tiny nation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Iraq wanted Kuwait because of its long coastline and harbor as well as the wealth to be had through its oil. The interests of the coalition revolved around protecting the petroleum supply upon which they were dependent.
After the invasion, Iraq quickly gained control of Kuwait. The Iraqis then set up troops along Kuwait’s border with Saudi Arabia, spurring fears that it intended to attack the Saudis. Since Saudi Arabia was also a prominent supplier of petroleum (oil), the nations of the world grew increasingly (more) alarmed. In late November 1990, the United Nations Security Council agreed to use “all necessary means” to dispel or get rid of Iraq from Kuwait after January 15, 1991. The coalition or group spent several months attempting to pressure Iraq into leaving Kuwait but to no avail. Finally, on January 17, 1991, the coalition began to bomb the Iraqi military and major industries. Iraq answered by directing Scud missiles at heavily populated areas of Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Scud missiles were crude by Western standards, but they killed thousands of civilians.
Military casualties and mass desertions reduced the number of Iraqi troops to approximately 183,000 by late February. At four in the morning on February 24, the coalition began a massive ground attack into southern Iraq and Kuwait. By February 28, the Iraqis were defeated. As Iraqi’s left, they set fire to oil wells, destroying much of Kuwait’s resource and causing severe air pollution throughout the area. They also dumped oil into the Persian Gulf. Although members of the coalition suffered fewer than 400 deaths, perhaps close to 100,000 Iraqi troops died, although the figure is not clear. Also, thousands of Iraqi and Kuwaiti civilians were killed, and the devastation to the area was enormous. A formal cease-fire was accepted by Iraq on April 6, 1991. The U.N. Security Council declared an official end to the war on April 11. As a result of the cease-fire agreement, Iraq agreed to pay war damages to Kuwait, to destroy all chemical and biological weapons, and to destroy all materials and facilities it had for producing nuclear weapons. Although no nuclear weapons were used in the war, the Iraqi government was attempting to construct them.

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The main idea of this passage is that the Persian Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, was fought between Iraq and a coalition of nations led by the United States and the United Nations. The war was sparked by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, motivated by its desire to control Kuwait's oil resources. The coalition was formed to protect the petroleum supply that these nations depended on. After failed attempts to negotiate with Iraq, the coalition launched a military campaign that resulted in the liberation of Kuwait and the defeat of the Iraqi forces. The war caused significant casualties, destruction, and environmental damage in the region. Iraq agreed to pay war damages, destroy weapons, and cease its nuclear weapons program as part of the cease-fire agreement.