The Persian Gulf War took place from August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991. Codenamed Operation Desert Storm, it was also commonly referred to as the Gulf War. Led by the United States,a coalition force from 34 nations moved against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and takeover of Kuwait. The war was also known under other names, such as the First Gulf War, or the Iraq War before it became identified instead with the 2003 Iraq War, which was codenamed "Operation Iraqi Freedom".