On 19 March 2003, a US and British-led coalition launched airstrikes on Iraq, marking the beginning of a controversial invasion undertaken without United Nations approval and against widespread global opposition.
Dubbed "Operation Iraqi Freedom," the campaign aimed to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime, purportedly to eliminate weapons of mass destruction—claims that would later prove unfounded.
The assault, beginning with the infamous "shock and awe" bombardment, plunged Iraq into decades of instability, igniting sectarian violence and reshaping geopolitics in the Middle East.
The war’s lasting legacy remains a subject of fierce debate, with its consequences still reverberating through global affairs today.
