History of American-Iranian relations: from the 1953 regime change to Trump Strikes

Explanator

Iran remains the opponent of the United States in the Middle East since the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

United States-Tensions Iran increased to the highest point in the decades after President Donald Trump ordered direct strikes on Sunday that “erased” key nuclear installations across the Middle East country.

Iran remains the largest opponent in the United States in the region since the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since then, the two nations have argued on a multitude of problems, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the support of Iran proxies in the region and American political interference.

Israel, which has long considered Iran as a threat, launched unprecedented strikes through Iran last week after accused the country of developing nuclear weapons. Israeli claims were not supported by any credible evidence, but Trump dragged the United States in the war after Israeli strikes.

On Sunday, the United States hit Iran directly in what Trump administration described a very sophisticated secret attack which involved more than 125 American planes and 75 precision bombs. Washington said it had “devastated” Iran’s nuclear sites, but Tehran warned that it would retaliate.

1980-88 War of Iran-Iraq — An IRGC soldier in his sandbag in Khorramshahr, Iran, after resolution 598 of the CSNU and the start of the ceasefire during the Iran-Iraq war (file: Kaveh Kazemi / Getty Images)

Here is a calendar of American-Iranian relations since 1953:

(1953) Blow and reinstallation supported by the United States of Shah: Tensions initially began to brew on the efforts of the Democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian oil company (today BP). The British Colonial Power has checked majority participation in the spouse’s company since oil was discovered in the early 1900s. Mosaddegh moves to nationalize the company after its 1951 elections were angry at the British. The United States Central Intelligence Agency supported the United Kingdom in engineering with a coup and the support of a formerly deposited monarch, Pahlavi, returning to power as Shah.
(1957) atoms for peace: Shah’s ambitions for a nuclear Iran have obtained support from the United States and other Western allies. The two countries have signed a nuclear agreement for the civil use of nuclear energy as part of the Atoms for Peace Program of the President of the United States Dwight Dwight. A decade later, the United States provided Iran with a nuclear reactor and a uranium to feed it. Nuclear collaboration is the basis of the current nuclear issue.
(1979) Islamic revolution: While the relations between Tehran and Washington prospered, the Iranians groaned under the dictatorship of the Shah and resisted the excessive perception of Western influence on their business. Revolutionary demonstrations began to rock the country at the end of 1978 and forced the Shah to flee in January 1979. The exiled Islamic scientist of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to govern the new Islamic Republic.
(1980) The United States reduces diplomatic links: After the United States’s decision to admit SHAH for cancer treatment after its exile, Iranian students broke into the United States Embassy in Tehran and Kidnappé 52 Americans for 444 days. Washington cut diplomatic ties and imposed sanctions in the country. The Shah died in exile.
(1980-88) US flexible the Iraqi invasion: After the invasion of Iran by Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, who was impatient to repel the ideology of Khomeini, the United States rose to the side of Iraq, deepening the tensions between the two nations. The war lasted until 1988 and saw thousands of people die on both sides. Iraq has also used chemical weapons on Iran.
(1984) Sponsor of the designation of terrorism: President Ronald Reagan officially appointed Iran as a “sponsor of the state of terror” after a series of attacks in Lebanon, where the United States was attracted after Israel invaded the country. During an attack on a military base in Beirut, 241 members of the US service were killed. The United States has blamed Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite movement supported by Iran. Later, however, Reagan worked with Iran behind the scenes to release American hostages held by Hezbollah. When he appeared, the Iran-Contra affair, as it was called, was a huge scandal for Reagan.
(1988) Iran Air Flight Down: In the midst of war tensions and even direct attacks on military warships on the other in the Gulf, an American naval ship violated Iranian waters and shot the Civil Air Iran (IR655) went to Dubai on July 8. The 290 people on board were killed. The United States, which said it was an error, did not apologize or officially claimed responsibility, but paid families for 61.8 million dollars in compensation.
(1995) stricter sanctions: Between 1995 and 1996, the United States imposed more sanctions. Then, the executive orders of President Bill Clinton prohibited American companies from dealing with Iran, while the Congress adopted a law penalizing foreign entities investing in the country’s energy sector or selling advanced weapons of Iran. The United States has cited nuclear advancement and group support such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad.
(2002) 9/11 aftermath: After the September 11 attacks against the United States, President George W Bush, in a speech on the state of the Union, said that Iran was part of an “axis of evil” alongside Iraq and North Korea. At the time, Iran had retaliated with the United States behind the scenes to target their mutual enemies-the Taliban in Afghanistan and Al-Qaeda. Cooperation was embittered and at the end of 2022, international observers note Uranium highly enriched in Iran, inviting more sanctions.
(2013) Iranian nuclear deal: Between 2013 and 2015, US President Barack Obama began high -level discussions with Iran. In 2015, Tehran accepted the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Complete Complete Action Plan (JCPOA), which would limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for softening the sanctions. China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union have also been part of the agreement which closed the enrichment of Iran at 3.67%.
(2018) Trump withdraws from the nuclear agreement: Under Trump’s first term, the United States has unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and slapped sanctions against Iran. Trump and Israel criticized the agreement. Iran has also canceled its commitments and began to produce uranium enriched beyond the limits that the agreement had imposed.
(2020) The head of the IRGC murdered: During Trump’s first term, the United States killed Iranian Generation of Genra Menerations Salemy.The chief of the Elite Quds Force of Iran’s Iranc Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in Baghdad in a drone strike. A year earlier, the administration had appointed the QUDs forces a “terrorist” organization. Iran responded with strikes on American assets in Iraq.
(2025) Letter to Tehran: In March, Trump sparked a letter to the Iranian supreme chief of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offering new negotiations on a nuclear agreement with a deadline of 60 days. But Khamenei rejected the offer, saying that the United States is not looking for negotiations with Iran, but rather imposing requests. The discussions began unofficially in Oman and Italy, with Muscat acting as a mediator. Trump said that his team was “very close” to an agreement after several cycles of talks and warned Israel against strikes. Tehran also expressed his optimism but insisted on the right to enrich uranium – a point of collision in talks. Israel launched strikes across Iran one day before the sixth round of Iran-US discussions.
(2025) US Strikes: The United States has bombed three key nuclear installations in Iran, citing security problems and the defense of Israel.