Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Muna 1981, Mutungamiriri mutsva weUnited States, Ronald Reagan, akatevera nzira yakaoma kuLibya, achitaura kuti yakanga iri hurumende yechidhori yeSoviet Union. Nenzira yakafanana, Gaddafi akawedzera ukama hwake hwezvokutengeserana neSoviet, achishanyirazve Moscow muna 1981 na1985, uye achityisidzira kubatana neWarsaw Pact. Kunyange zvakadaro, vaSoviet vakanga vakangwarira Gaddafi, vachimuona somunhu anodzvinyirira asingatauriki. Muna August 1981, United States yakaita maekisesaizi ehondo muGulf of Sirte - nharaunda iyo Libya yaiti chikamu chemvura dzayo dzomunyika. US yakaparadza ndege mbiri dzeLibya Su-22 dzaiva munzira yokudimburira. Vachivhara nhume yeLibya muWashington, DC, Reagan akarayira makambani eU.S. anoshanda muLibya kuderedza nhamba yevashandi veU.S. vakagoverwa ikoko. Muna March 1982, US yakatanga kurambidza kutengeswa kweoiri yeLibya, uye muna January 1986 yakarayira makambani ose eUS kuti arege kushanda munyika yacho, kunyange zvazvo mazana akawanda evashandi akaramba aripo apo hurumende yeLibya yakapeta kaviri mari yavaipiwa. Muchirimo cha1986, U.S. Navy yakaitazve kurovedza muGulf of Sirte
Mauto eLibya akadzorera, asi akakundikana sezvo US yakanyudza ngarava dzinoverengeka dzeLibya. Ukama hwekudyidzana kwenyika dzakawanda hwakaputsikawo neUK, pashure pokunge vamiriri veLibya vapomerwa mhosva yokuponda Yvonne Fletcher, mupurisa wechiBritish akanga akamira kunze kwembazi yavo yeLondon, muna April 1984.