Gulf of Sidra Incident

The Gulf of Sidra Incident refers to two confrontations between the United States and Libya in 1981 and 1989 over Libya's claim to the Gulf of Sidra as its territorial waters. Libya declared the area a "Line of Death," asserting it had sovereignty over it, which the U.S. challenged by conducting freedom of navigation exercises. In 1981, a U.S. aircraft was shot down, and in 1989, U.S. warplanes engaged Libyan fighters in combat, highlighting tensions over maritime boundaries and sovereignty. These incidents underscored the geopolitical clash over territorial claims in the region.