In the last 60 years, there have been a number of conflicts in the Middle East. Many of these conflicts have been part of the Arab-Israeli conflict: four wars between Israel and surrounding Arab countries (in 1948, 1956, 1973 and 1982).

Table of contents
1 Arab-Israeli conflict:
2 Jordan-Syria conflict
3 Egypt and Yemen
4 Iraq-Kuwait clashes
5 Yemen-Oman war
6 Libya-Chad conflict
7 Libya-Egypt conflict
8 Libya-Sudan conflict
9 Morocco and Mauritania invasion of Western Sahara
10 The 1980 Iran-Iraq war
11 United States and United Kingdom invade Iraq
12 Fighting Terrorism

Arab-Israeli conflict:

Jordan-Syria conflict

In
1975 Jordan and Syria attempted to put aside hostilities between them and create a new alliance. By 1978 the reapproachment was off, because King Hussein of Jordan refused to allow Syria to become a dominant partner. By 1978 Syria held that the Kingdom of Jordan was behind the "Muslim Brothers" terrorist war against Syria. See also: Black September

Egypt and Yemen

Egypt fought a civil war in Yemen from 1962 to 1967. As the war expanded into a fight with another Arab nation, Saudi Arabia, Egypt withdrew its troops.

  • Yemen civil war

Iraq-Kuwait clashes

Kuwait and Iraq had a serious territorial dispute that led to armed warfare in
1973 and again 1976.
  • 1973 Iraq-Kuwait war
  • 1976 Iraq-Kuwait war
  • Gulf War
Iraq wants Kuwait for its oil, and it feels that Kuwait is rightfully theirs due to old British imperialist boundaries.

Yemen-Oman war

The Arab nation of South Yemen warred against the regime of the small Gulf state of Oman. South Yemen supported Oman's native rebellion in Dhofar. The government of Oman was aided by Iran. Eventually the Saudi-Arabian government offered money to South Yemen to withdraw their support. The rebellion then ended by 1976.

Libya-Chad conflict

In 1973 Libya effectively went to war against Chad and annexed Chadian land. Libya has a full scale invasion of Chad in 1980.

Libya-Egypt conflict

From 1973 onward, Libya was openly hostile to Egypt, and supported assassination attempts and anti-Egyptian government plots inside Egypt. Libya moved to near open warfare by 1977.

Libya-Sudan conflict

Relations between Libya and Sudan began to deteriorate after 1972. Sudan charged that Libya was involved in a terrorist plot against its government in 1976. This led to a serverence of relations between the groups. Relations were finally resumed by 1978.

Morocco and Mauritania invasion of Western Sahara

This is not part of the Middle East, though Morocco is an Arab state. Western Sahara, formerly a Spanish colonial state, was forcibly partitioned and annexed by Morocco. Algeria then aided the Polisario, Saharan rebels, to create an independent Saharan republic in 1975. Morocco and Algeria had some armed clashes for a number of years afterwards.
  • Morocco-Algeria conflict

The 1980 Iran-Iraq war

Sometimes called the First Persian Gulf War. In this war Syria entered on the side of Iran, against Iraq, with aid and supplies.

United States and United Kingdom invade Iraq

2003 invasion of Iraq

Fighting Terrorism