Original: The Persian Gulf War ( August 2 , 1990 -- February 28 , 1991 ) , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War , was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from thirty-four nations led by the United States and United Kingdom , against Iraq .
Simplified: The Gulf War , or Persian Gulf War , was a conflict in 1991 , between Iraq and 34 other countries , led by the United States .