Key Facts
- Start date
- 20 March 2003
- Duration
- 4 days
- Key objective
- Capture oil platforms (GOPLATs) before sabotage
- Port secured
- Umm Qasr — Iraq's only deep-water port
- Lead formation
- 3 Commando Brigade, British Armed Forces
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 20 March 2003, British 3 Commando Brigade, with the U.S. 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit placed under its command, launched simultaneous assaults on the Al-Faw oil platforms and the port of Umm Qasr. The four-day operation focused on rapidly overwhelming Iraqi defenders before they could sabotage critical infrastructure, with naval mine countermeasures units working to clear Khawr Abd Allah waterway for supply ships.
01 / The Origins
As the 2003 Coalition invasion of Iraq began, planners prioritized seizing the Al-Faw Peninsula's oil and gas platforms to prevent a repeat of the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires and Persian Gulf oil spill. Capturing the coast would also deny Iraq revenue and give Coalition forces control over the country's primary maritime entry point at Umm Qasr, the only deep-water port in Iraq.
03 / The Outcome
Within four days, Coalition forces secured the Al-Faw Peninsula's oil infrastructure intact and captured Umm Qasr port. This allowed heavy military supplies to be brought ashore once the waterway was cleared of mines. Preventing sabotage of the GOPLATs preserved Iraqi oil production capacity and avoided a major ecological disaster, facilitating the broader Coalition advance into Iraq.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.