▁Iran ▁repeatedly ▁target ed ▁K uw ait i ▁oil ▁tank ers ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁fired ▁weapons ▁at ▁K uw ait i ▁security ▁personnel ▁station ed ▁on ▁B ub i yan ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁During ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War , ▁K uw ait ▁function ed ▁as ▁Ira q ' s ▁major ▁port ▁once ▁Bas ra ▁was ▁shut ▁down ▁by ▁the ▁fighting . ▁However , ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁ended , ▁the ▁friendly ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁neighbour ing ▁Arab ▁countries ▁turned ▁s our ▁for ▁several ▁economic ▁and ▁diplom atic ▁reasons ▁that ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁invasion ▁of ▁K uw ait . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Iran – I ra q ▁War ▁ended , ▁Ira q ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁a ▁financial ▁position ▁to ▁rep ay ▁the ▁ 1 4 ▁billion ▁US D ▁it ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁K uw ait ▁to ▁fin ance ▁its ▁war ▁and ▁requested ▁that ▁K uw ait ▁forg ive ▁the ▁deb t . ▁Ira q ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁had ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Iran ian ▁h eg em ony ▁in ▁K uw ait . ▁However , ▁K uw ait ' s ▁rel uct ance ▁to ▁p ardon ▁the ▁deb t ▁stra ined ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁countries . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁several ▁official ▁meet ings ▁were ▁held ▁between ▁the ▁K uw ait i ▁and ▁Ira qi ▁leaders , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁dead lock ▁between ▁the