How did the Iran–America rivalry begin? Why did they become enemies? From friendship to enemy.
Historybefore America's arrival in Iran
We have to go back a little in history to understand how the enmity between America and Iran started .
At the beginning of the 20th century , crude oil was being explored all over the world . During the same period , large oil reserves were discovered in Iran in The discovery was made by British geologist George Reynolds . The discovery drew the attention of the entire world to Iran . This was followed in 1909 by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) .
At that time , the United Kingdom was a global superpower and had considerable influence in Iran . Therefore , the oil extraction task was given to APOC . Since the company 's shares were mostly held by the British government and British investors , Britain maintained complete control over Iran 's oil industry for the next 37 years .
The result was that a very small share of the oil profits went to Iran and its people . Even Iran did not have full control over its own oil resources . That is, oil was from Iran , but its real benefit was getting to foreign powers .
Nationalization of the Iranian oil industry
Everything continued like this until 1950 , but in 1951 , the elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh began the nationalization of Iran 's oil industry . This directly meant that Iran now wanted full control of its oil and could sell oil on the international market on its own terms . The oil profits from this were going to go directly to Iran and its people .
The United Kingdom was angered by Iran 's move . Then , the secret agencies of Britain and the United States jointly launched a covert operation and in 1953 overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq . In their place , the United States and Britain reinvigorated Iran 's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , who was considered pro - Western .
This was the first major occasion when America directly interfered in Iran 's politics and started establishing its interests there .
Under pressure from the United States and Britain , the Shah signed the 1954 Oil Agreement . Under the agreement , American , British and French oil companies gained about 40 percent ownership in Iran 's oil industry and the right to extract oil for the next 25 years . However the “ Shah ” was extremely unpopular among the large population of the country and raha tha he had to depend on the support of the United States to remain in power .
The beginning of Iran's nuclear program
In the year 1957 , under the “Atoms for Peace” program , the United States and its Western allies signed a nuclear agreement for the peaceful and civilian use of atomic energy . Under this initiative , the United States provided nuclear education and technology to developing countries .Iran 's nuclear program aimed to use nuclear energy for peace and development , such as :
1. Power generation 2. Scientific research 3. Medical field
And later , the US provided Iran with a nuclear reactor and uranium fuel . This agreement laid the foundation for Iran 's nuclear program , which the US itself supported at the time . For nearly a decade , the US provided Iran with a nuclear reactor and the uranium needed to power it .
This nuclear cooperation became the basis of today 's nuclear dispute with Iran .
The beginning of the rebellion against the Shah
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was attempting to Westernize the country using the money earned from selling Iran 's oil . This angered the country 's hardline religious leaders . He also imposed numerous restrictions on the public , angering the common people . The Iranian public was upset with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 's dictatorship and the increasing interference of Western countries , especially the United States , in the country 's politics and business . This led to people calling him " an American puppet . " In late 1978 , nationwide revolutionary protests erupted , shaking Iran . His government was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution . Amid public uprisings and unrest , the Shah fled the country in January 1979 and later went to the United States for cancer treatment .
Islamic cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Returns to Iran
Exiled Islamic cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran after fourteen years of exile . and became the supreme leader of the new Islamic Republic , which opposed the Westernization of IranIn December 1979 , Khomeini took power as Supreme Leader and transformed Iran from a pro - Western monarchy into a staunchly anti - Western Islamic theocracy .
“ This was a major blow to the US and Britain . ”
In 1985 , a militant organization called Hezbollah emerged in Lebanon and swore allegiance to Khomeini .
Iran hostage crisis
After the US allowed the Shah to return to Iran for cancer treatment after his exile , on November 4 , 1979 , Iranian revolutionary students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage , demanding that the US extradite the Shah to Iran . They held them hostage for 444 days . After 444 days , the hostages were released under the Algiers Accords . Under the agreement , the US also promised not to interfere in Iranian politics . Subsequently , Washington severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 and imposed sanctions on Iran . During this period , the Shah died in exile . After this incident , the distance between Iran and the United States began to increase and the relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate .
US support for the Iraqi invasion
In September 1980, Iraq 's ruler Saddam Hussein attacked Iran with the aim of stopping the ideology of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . Iraq feared that the influence of Ruhollah Khomeini 's Islamic revolution could spread to Iraq . America supported Iraq in this war , provided financial assistance like military intelligence and technical help . Due to which tension between America and Iran deepened further . This war continued till 1988 and thousands of people lost their lives in both the countries . During the war , Iraq also used chemical weapons against Iran .
Suicide truck bomb attack on US and French military barracks in Beirut
The Beirut Barracks Bombings , which occurred on October 23 , 1983 , involved two suicide truck - laden attacks on American and French military barracks in Beirut , the capital of Lebanon . The attack killed 241 American soldiers and 58 French soldiers , making it one of the deadliest attacks on the US Marine Corps at the time . The US and France were stationed there as part of a multinational peacekeeping force .
The United States accused Iran - backed groups , particularly Hezbollah , of being behind the attacks . Relations between the United States and Iran became more strained following these incidents .
In 1984 , the U.S. State Department declared Iran a “ State Sponsor of Terrorism ” .
In July 1988 , the US Navy mistook an Iranian passenger plane for a fighter jet and fired a missile at a civilian airliner , Iran Air Flight 100 , killing all 290 people on board . This incident further escalated tensions between the US and Iran . The US called it a " mistake , " but neither formally apologized nor accepted full responsibility .
Meanwhile , in 1989 , Ruhollah Khomeini died and Ali Khamenei was elected the new Supreme Leader of Iran . Ali Khamenei was one of the key leaders of the Iranian Revolution and was considered a close associate of Ruhollah Khomeini . Between 1995 and 1996 , the US imposed more stringent sanctions on Iran . Under the orders of the then US President Bill Clinton , American companies were banned from doing business with Iran . Along with this , the US Congress passed a law under which sanctions could also be imposed on foreign companies investing in Iran 's energy sector or other countries selling advanced weapons to Iran .
In his 2002 State of the Union address , President George W. Bush described Iran as part of an "axis of evil " along with Iraq and North Korea .
(2013–2015) Iran Nuclear Deal :
Between 2013 and 2015 , US President Barack Obama initiated high - level talks with Iran .
In 2015 , Tehran agreed to the nuclear deal , called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA ) . Under the agreement , Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program and uranium enrichment , in exchange for relief from several economic sanctions imposed on it . And it was decided that Iran would never enrich uranium to a higher level . The agreement also included China, Russia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union . According to the agreement , Iran 's uranium enrichment limit was set at 3.67 percent .
During Trump 's first term , the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 , calling it unilateral , and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran . The Trump administration and Israel were already critical of the agreement . In response , Iran abandoned many of its commitments under the agreement and began producing enriched uranium at levels exceeding the agreed limits .
On June 13 , 2019 , two oil tankers were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz , following damage to four commercial vessels in the area nearly a month earlier . The United States blamed Iran for the attacks , with President Donald Trump calling Iran a " nation of terror . "
Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani killed
On January 3 , 2020 , the US military killed senior Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike near the Iraqi capital , Baghdad . This incident significantly escalated tensions between the US and Iran . In response , Iran launched missile attacks on US military bases in Iraq . Soleimani 's killing is seen as a major turning point in Middle East politics and US - Iran relations ..
On June 21, 2025 , the United States launched major military strikes on Iran 's major nuclear sites . President Donald Trump announced that the US military targeted Iran 's Fordow , Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites . These attacks used B - 2 stealth bombers and Tomhawk missiles . Tensions in the Middle East escalated after the attacks .
Iran threatened retaliation , while the United Nations and several countries called for calm . Iran , meanwhile , warned the US of " lasting consequences . "
This was the first time that the US directly attacked Iranian territory .
In March 2025 , Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran ’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offering to negotiate a new nuclear deal although Khamenei rejected the proposal . He said the United States really wanted to impose its terms on Iran , not negotiate . Despite this , indirect talks began , while Tehran also expressed thik to the talks , but insisted on its right to uranium enrichment , which remained the biggest contentious issue in the negotiations
Death of Ali Khamenei
On February 28, 2026 , the joint US - Israeli operation “ Operation Epic Fury” targeted Iran ’s top leaders and military positions in several cities , including Tehran . The attack killed Iran 's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei , members of his family and several other senior leaders . This angered Iran even more
In response , Iran swiftly retaliated , firing missiles at Israel and US military bases in Bahrain , Kuwait , Qatar , and the United Arab Emirates . Iran also seized control of the Strait of Hormuz , a vital route for global oil trade , triggering a global oil crisis .
The United States and other countries are continuously engaged in diplomatic meetings and talks to get it opened , but no significant success has been achieved so far .
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