Relations between the United States and Iran have traveled a complex path from strategic partnership to deep enmity. It all began in 1953, when the CIA organized a coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, fearing his rapprochement with the USSR and the nationalization of the oil industry. This brought Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power, who became a key Washington ally in the Middle East. However, the 1979 Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini radically changed the balance of power, and the seizure of the American embassy in Tehran and the taking of its staff hostage for 444 days finally severed diplomatic ties.
The 1980s became a period of repeated crises that entrenched the confrontation model. The failed U.S. operation to free the hostages in 1980 cost the lives of eight U.S. servicemen. Although the hostages were released on the day of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981, tensions only grew. The bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, which Washington blamed on Iranian proxies, killed 241 Americans. At the same time, the Iran–Contra scandal erupted, in which U.S. officials secretly sold arms to Iran and funneled the proceeds to support Nicaraguan rebels.
In the 1990s and 2000s the conflict took on pronounced ideological and economic dimensions. After Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (death sentence) against writer Salman Rushdie in 1989, the cultural rift deepened. President Bill Clinton imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran. In 2002 President George W. Bush included Iran in the so-called "axis of evil," and the international community began to voice serious concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, which became a central issue in the relationship.
Under Barack Obama’s administration, the U.S. relied on a mix of cyberwarfare, sanctions pressure, and diplomacy. In 2009 the Stuxnet cyberattack damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities. Severe sanctions on oil exports weakened Iran’s economy. The culmination was the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015, under which Tehran agreed to dismantle parts of its nuclear infrastructure under international oversight in exchange for partial sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets. However, this fragile diplomatic victory proved short-lived.
The situation sharply escalated under President Donald Trump, who in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed harsh sanctions, seeking to virtually eliminate Iran’s oil exports. The apex of the military confrontation was the 2020 killing in Baghdad of Quds Force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qasem Soleimani on Trump’s orders. This led to a direct exchange of strikes between the forces of the two countries and increased tension across the region.
In the mid-2020s the conflict entered a new, even more dangerous phase. After Trump’s re-election in 2025, the U.S. supported large-scale Israeli operations against Iran’s allies in the region and itself conducted B-2 strategic bomber airstrikes on three underground Iranian nuclear facilities. In 2026 a joint U.S.-Israeli operation resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This event marked the beginning of a new, unpredictable chapter in the long-standing confrontation, the consequences of which will shape the security of the entire Middle East.
Commentary on the news
How is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds unit structured and what role do they play in Iranian politics and regional strategy? - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a powerful military, economic, and political force created after the 1979 revolution. It reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran and operates parallel to the regular army. Its role includes defending the Islamic system, controlling key sectors of the economy, and influencing domestic politics. The Quds Force is the IRGC’s elite external operations arm, responsible for overseas operations, supporting allied groups (such as Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen), and advancing Iran’s interests in the region. It is Tehran’s main instrument for implementing a “strategy of strategic depth” and countering U.S. and Israeli influence.
What is Iran’s political system, and what is the role of the Supreme Leader (for example, Ayatollah Khamenei) compared to the president and other institutions? - Iran’s political system is a unique theocratic-republican hybrid. Formally, democratic institutions exist: an elected president (head of the executive) and a parliament (Majlis). However, ultimate power rests with the Supreme Leader (since 1989 — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), who is a lifelong religious and political leader. He controls the armed forces (including the IRGC), the judiciary, state media, and has the final say on key issues of foreign policy, national security, and the nuclear program. The president manages day-to-day government affairs and the economy, but his powers are limited. Other important bodies, such as the Guardian Council (which vets election candidates and checks laws for conformity with Islamic norms) and the Expediency Council, also operate under the Supreme Leader’s authority.
How is the historical figure Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi perceived in contemporary Iran, and what is his legacy after the 1979 Islamic Revolution? - There is a dual perception of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in contemporary Iran. The official position of the Islamic Republic is sharply negative: he is portrayed as a Western puppet whose authoritarian rule and secularization of society led to the revolution. His legacy is officially rejected. However, among part of the population—especially the older generation and some secular circles—there is nostalgia for the shah’s era, associated with economic modernization, a secular lifestyle, and greater international openness. His legacy remains contentious: for some he is a symbol of oppression and dependent development, for others a lost era of stability and progress. This duality reflects a deep split in Iran’s historical memory.
Full version: من النفط للبرنامج النووي.. عقود من العلاقات المضطربة بين أمريكا وإيران