When he announced that the United States had launched “major combat strikes” on Iran, US President Donald Trump called on Iranians to rise up and overthrow the regime that has ruled them since 1979. The February 28 attacks, carried out jointly with Israel, are the culmination of decades of mistrust and hostility between the US and Iran.
1951
The dispute began when the United States supported a 1953 coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. He was a nationalist leader who wanted Iran to control its own oil. In 1951, the Iranian parliament decided to nationalize the oil industry, which had previously been controlled by the British through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now known as BP).
The US and Britain organized a covert operation called “Ajax” to overthrow Mossadegh. The more Western-friendly monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was restored to power. This foreign intervention created great resentment against the US in Iran.
1957
The United States signed an agreement with Iran to help it use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. This was part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" program. Later, the United States gave Iran a nuclear research reactor and enriched uranium.
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The US has overthrown Iranian governments in the past. How did it happen?
1968
The US and Iran were among the first countries to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which entered into force in 1970. The aim of this treaty was to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and allow the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
1972
President Richard Nixon visited Tehran and promised to sell Iran American weapons, in addition to nuclear weapons. In the late 1970s, the Shah bought over $16 billion in weapons from the United States, including F-14 fighter jets.
1979
During the Shah's rule, relations with the United States were stable. But his rule was authoritarian and unjust. There was corruption, excessive spending, and social inequality. This led to widespread protests.
In 1979, the Islamic Revolution took place. The Shah fled the country in January. The religious leader Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and took power. Iran was declared an Islamic Republic and moved away from its pro-Western orientation. A new constitution was adopted and declared Khomeini supreme leader.
The US allowed the Shah to enter America for medical treatment. This angered many Iranians. In November, Iranian students attacked the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage.
1980
The US attempted to rescue the hostages with an operation called “Eagle Claw.” The operation failed and eight American soldiers lost their lives.
President Jimmy Carter severed diplomatic relations with Iran and banned oil imports from the country.
That same year, Iran was attacked by Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein. The war lasted eight years and caused hundreds of thousands of casualties. The US supported Iraq with money and military aid, even though it was aware of the use of chemical weapons against Iran.
1981
After 444 days, the American hostages were released on January 19, 1981, shortly after Ronald Reagan took office as president. Under the agreement known as the Algiers Accords, the US agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets and not interfere in Iran's internal affairs.
1984
The US declared Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. This measure continues today. Sanctions and bans on arms sales were imposed.
This followed a 1983 bombing of a military barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American soldiers. The US believed the attack was carried out by groups linked to Iran.
1986
Although the United States had officially imposed an arms embargo on Iran, the administration of President Ronald Reagan secretly sold weapons to the country to secure the release of American hostages in Lebanon. The money from these sales was used to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua, despite the US Congress having prohibited such a thing. This action was later made public and became a major political scandal, known as the Iran-Contra affair.
1988
On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz. All 290 people on board were killed. The US claimed that the plane had been mistaken for a fighter jet and called the incident a "tragic mistake."
1995–1996
President Bill Clinton's administration imposed broader sanctions on Iran in 1995. These included an oil embargo and a ban on American trade and investment in Iran.
In 1996, Clinton signed the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act. This law also penalized non-American companies that invested in Iran's oil and gas sector.
2002
President George W. Bush called Iran part of the “axis of evil,” along with North Korea and Iraq, during his State of the Union address. He said Iran sought weapons of mass destruction and supported terrorism.
These statements caused anger in Iran. This happened even though Iran had provided assistance to the US in the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
In August 2002, the National Council of Resistance of Iran revealed the existence of two previously undeclared nuclear facilities: the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and the heavy water reactor at Arak.
2003
Iran notified the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would suspend uranium enrichment. It also agreed to tighter controls on its nuclear facilities.
2007
US intelligence services concluded that in 2003 Iran had halted a secret nuclear weapons program, known as the "Amad Plan".
2009
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Key points in the long-running Iran-US rivalry
President Barack Obama, along with the leaders of France and Britain, publicly announced the existence of another nuclear facility at Fordow. This facility was built deep into a mountain.
Obama said the size and structure of the facility were not consistent with a peaceful program. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the facility was built in violation of international resolutions.
2013
In September, Obama spoke by phone with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. It was the first high-level contact between the two countries in more than 30 years.
In November, Iran, Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - China, France, Russia, Britain and the US - signed an initial nuclear deal, known as the Joint Plan of Action. This paved the way for a broader agreement.
2015
The agreement was expanded into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under it, Iran agreed not to enrich uranium above 3.7 percent for 15 years. It also agreed to limit the amount of enriched uranium to 300 kilograms.
In exchange, economic sanctions on Iran were eased.
2018
When Donald Trump first took office, he withdrew the US from the JCPOA, calling it "the worst deal ever."
Trump reinstated sanctions and launched a "maximum pressure" campaign to stop Iran's oil exports.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran was complying with the terms of the deal until the US withdrew. After that, Iran increased its uranium enrichment level to 60%, a very high level.
2019
The US has designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. It was the first time the US has designated a part of another country's government as a terrorist organization.
2020
A US drone strike in Baghdad killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force. Trump said he was responsible for many deaths.
Iran responded by launching missiles at US military bases in Iraq.
2021
President Joe Biden's administration began indirect talks with Iran in Vienna to restore the nuclear deal. But the parties failed to reach an agreement.
2023
With the mediation of Oman and Qatar, the US and Iran agreed to a prisoner exchange. Each side released five people.
As part of the deal, the US allowed the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar. The US said the money would be used only for humanitarian purposes. Republicans criticized the deal.
2025
In February, Trump, now president again - called for the start of a "Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement." In March, he sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, giving him two months to reach a new agreement.
New talks began in April between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. A key issue was whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium to low levels.
US intelligence services assessed that Iran was not currently building nuclear weapons, but domestic pressure had increased.
In mid-June, Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The United States joined in the strikes and hit three major sites, including Fordow and Natanz. A powerful bomb was used in combat for the first time against bunkers.
Iran retaliated by attacking the Al Udeid air base in Qatar. Qatar said the missiles were intercepted and the base was evacuated in advance.
2026
In late December 2025, anti-government protests erupted in Tehran due to an economic crisis and the collapse of the Iranian currency. The protests spread throughout the country. Some called for Khamenei's removal.
Authorities responded with harsh measures. The internet was restricted, paramilitary forces were deployed, and a form of state of emergency was declared. According to a US-based human rights agency, thousands of civilians were killed and tens of thousands were arrested.
Trump threatened military action over the treatment of protesters. In January, he sent a US naval fleet to the Middle East, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
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US and Iran suspend attacks, paving the way for talks
Tensions escalated after three rounds of talks between the US and Iranian sides failed to reach an agreement.
This led the United States and Israel to carry out joint attacks across Iran on Saturday, also prompting retaliatory attacks from official Tehran.
