Explained | A history of treachery, treaties, and the blade of war: Understanding the US–Iran love–hate saga

The United States' decision to join Israel in direct strikes on Iran's nuclear sites marks a significant escalation in a long and turbulent history. However, this conflict is not new, it didn't begin in 2025, nor in 1979, but decades earlier with oil, colonial interests, and a CIA-backed coup. There is a decade long struggle for power between Iran and the West. Here's a detailed look at how nearly a century of intervention, revolution, nuclear diplomacy, and proxy wars have led to the current flashpoint. The earliest known point of the conflict was in 1951.

1951–1953: The Oil Crisis and Mossadegh's Fall

In the early 50's Iran had a liberal Prime Minister nurturing a delicate democracy, who believed in shipping the country's oil resources offshore and using that wealth in investing on the country and it's people. The Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh’s nationalisation of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951, however, threatened British and Western oil interests. The response was very swift and covert. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup also known as 'Operation Ajax', deposing Mossadegh and restoring the Shah to power, this was proved through a declassified document of the CIA which admits to 'Ajax' 'having a hand' in demonstrations that spilled onto the streets of Tehran. The Shah’s government later signed the 1954 Consortium Agreement, giving British, American, and French oil firms 40% ownership of Iran’s oil for 25 years.

1957: Nuclear Cooperation Begins

Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 'Atoms for Peace' initiative, Iran received nuclear technology from the US. This was after the US and Iran signed the Cooperation Concerning Civil Uses of Atoms agreement. This cooperation laid the groundwork for Iran’s nuclear programme, with the US even supplying weapons-grade uranium and a reactor.

1979: Revolution and Rupture

A popular uprising overthrew the US-backed Shah in 1979, replacing the monarchy with Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Republic. That year, Iranian protestors also seized the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage for about 444 days. Khomeini took power as the supreme leader in December, resultantly turning Iran from a pro-West monarchy to a vehemently anti-West Islamic theocracy. As a result, the diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed and never fully restored. The Iranian oil imports were sanctioned and Iranian assets were blocked.

1980s: Proxy War and Sanctions

During the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88), the US supported Saddam Hussein’s Iraq against the war, despite Iraq's use of chemical weapons. Iran paid a heavy price, losing over a million people in the conflict. In 1988, the US Navy accidently shot down an Iranian passenger plane, killing all 290 civilians on-board. The US also imposed heavy sanctions throughout the decade.

1990s: Isolation Deepens

The US ramped up sanctions under Presidents Bush and Clinton administrations. The 1996 Iran and Libya Sanctions Act targeted foreign investment in Iran’s energy sector imposing an embargo against these non-American companies investing more than $20 million per year. Meanwhile, Qasem Soleimani rose through the ranks of the IRGC, eventually leading the Quds Force, Iran’s elite military unit focused on foreign operations.

2000s: Axis of Evil and Nuclear Suspicion

In 2002, President George W. Bush labelled Iran part of the "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq and N. Korea. Even though Iran helped the US post-9/11 against the Taliban, tensions escalated over nuclear development. In 2003 found traces of enriched uranium, however, Iran denies plans for a bomb. By 2006, Iran was enriching uranium and dismissing Western concerns.

2015: The Nuclear Deal

After years of negotiation, Iran finally signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the US and world powers in 2015. This deal limited Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for easing the sanctions. President Obama called it a historic step toward non-proliferation.

2018: Trump Withdraws

President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, calling it 'one-sided' and 'the worst deal ever'. He reinstated sanctions under a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran. Iran responded by ramping up uranium enrichment, breaching the deal’s limits. Trump later designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is a branch of the Iranian army—a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

2020: Soleimani’s Assassination

In January 2020, the US killed Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad after Trump's order. Soleimani was considered as the most powerful person after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on US bases in Iraq, in the process, accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet. The move marked a sharp deterioration in relations. Iran's parliament approves a bill to boost uranium enrichment to 20 per cent which was far beyond the concentrations permitted by the JCPOA.

2021–2022: Stalled Diplomacy

The Biden administration attempted to revive the nuclear deal, but talks stalled, particularly after hardliner Ebrahim Raisi became the president of Iran. Iran began supplying drones to Russia during the Ukraine war, further straining relations with the West.

2023: A Fragile Thaw

In 2023, the US and Iran conducted a prisoner swap, and $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds were released. The Republican lawmakers, however, criticise the deal, which is said to be mediated by governments including Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as a ransom paid to a hostile government. But the detente was short-lived. In October, Hamas attacked Israel killing more than 1,200 civilians. Though Iran denied involvement, tensions soared again.

2024: Direct Attacks Begin

For the first time ever, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in April and again in October. Israel retaliated with its largest direct attack on Iranian soil, with the help of US military and intelligence support.

2025: From Pressure to War

January: Trump returned to office for the second time, and revived his 'maximum pressure' strategy on Iran.

March: The US and Iran began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement following a letter sent by Trump to Khamenei, the letter set a two-month deadline for the agreement.

April–May: Indirect talks between US and Iran, mediated by Oman and held in Rome failed. Iran refused to halt uranium enrichment.

June 13: Israel bombed major Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump initially distanced himself.

June 22: The US officially entered the conflict, targeting Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. President Trump called it 'a clear warning'. Khamenei went into hiding into a secure underground bunker, fearing an assassination attempt. In a televised statement, Trump said, "Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." He confirmed that 30 Tomahawk missiles and six GBU-57 bunker-busters were used.