The Gulf War oil spill happened in January of 1991 during the Gulf War when Iraq troops were retreating from Kuwait. Shortly after Coalition forces (made up of 39 countries) started the air campaign against Iraq, Iraqi soldiers opened the valves at the Sea Island oil terminal. This released between five and ten million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf—the largest oil spill in history. The spill was an environmental disaster. It destroyed the coastal habitats and marine wildlife in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.