In January 1979, the Iranian Shah monarchy was overthrown and replaced by the supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini.
To prevent the spread of Iranian Islamic extremism and other hegemonic claims of the Shatt Al Arab waterway, Iraq invaded Iran on the 22 September 1980.
[2][3] In February 1989, Iraq established the Arab Cooperation Council which attempted to garner economic support.
In February 1990, Saddam Hussein believed that Iraq should be compensated for protecting the Middle East from the spread of radicalism.
He suggested that Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should write off Iraq's wartime loans.
On the 18th July 1990, Saddam accused Kuwait and the UAE of exceeding Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quotas and requested that they lower their production.
Furthermore, Iraq has one major port, Umm Qasr through the Kuwaiti controlled Khor Abdullah waterway.
[6] Iraq failed to gain a lease on the strategically vital islands of Bubiyan, Warbah, and Failak.
Kuwait also allowed Iraq's modified Al Hussein SCUD missiles to reach Qatar and Bahrain.
Some minor factors include Kuwait's negligence and limited defense especially since they were surrounded by several larger players.
The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) said that Iraq had enough forces to conduct military operations in Kuwait.
[13]" Under testimony, she said, "we foolishly did not realize he was stupid, that he did not believe our clear and repeated warnings that we would support our vital interests.
Between 1989 and 1990, the Soviet Union suffered from numerous revolutions in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and East Germany.
The USA had a greater range to their influence but meant that "relatively small, peripheral and backward states will be able to emerge rapidly as threats not only to regional, but to world, security.
[19]" Former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, suggested that the intervention comforted other small states and safeguarded democracy.
On the 23 January 1980, the Carter administration established the USA's official foreign policy regarding the Middle East as: "Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.
"[21] Ronald Reagan's rollback doctrine also had implications in the Middle East because the Soviet Union was involved in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan.