On March 19, 2003, the United States, alongside coalition forces, launched an invasion of Iraq, marking the beginning of the Iraq War. The invasion was justified by the U.S. governments claims that Saddam Husseins regime possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and posed a threat to international security. The military action led to the swift overthrow of Saddam Hussein, but it also sparked widespread violence and insurgency across Iraq. The war resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and destabilized the region, contributing to the rise of extremist groups like ISIS. The Iraq War remains a contentious and heavily debated conflict, with long-lasting political and social consequences.