Iran US tension explained: The tortured history between the two nations

Rebecca Speare-Cole8 January 2020

The US and Iran have endured 65 years of volatile relations in the lead up to the recent killing of Iran's top military general and subsequent retaliation.

Donald Trump ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Quds Force in an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 2.

A few days later, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two coalition military bases in Iraq.

Here, we take a look at the tortured history between the two nations in more detail:

Iranian protesters burn a US flag after the assassination of Gen. Soleimani
AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh ousted in 1953

US and British intelligence agencies orchestrated a coup to oust Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad ​Mosaddegh.

The secular leader had attempted to nationalise the country's oil industry, which had been built by the British on Persian lands since 1913 through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

He was imprisoned for three years, then put under house arrest until his death in 1967.

Hundred thousand of people gather at Tehran Freedom Square as the insurrection against the Shah's regime spreads all over the country
Iranrevolution07012020

Many Iranians regard him as the leading champion of secular democracy and resistance to foreign domination in Iran's modern history.

Iranian Revolution in 1979

The US-backed Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, was forced to leave the country on January 16.

The ruler had faced months of protests and strikes organised by secular and religious opponents.

The Islamic religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile two weeks later.

Iranian protesters hold up a picture of the Shah of Iran.
Getty Images

Following a referendum the country become the Islamic Republic of Iran on April 1.

US Embassy hostage crisis in 1979 - 1981

American hostages were held inside the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days after protesters seized the building in 1979.

The final 52 hostages were released in January 1981 - on the same day of President Ronald Reagan's inauguration.

The 2012 Oscar-winning film Argo dramatised the true story of six Americans who had escaped the embassy.

They were smuggled out of Iran by a team posing as film-makers.

Iranian students climb over the wall of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Getty Images

Iranian passenger plane shot down by US warship in 1988

The USS Vincennes warship shot down an Iranian passenger flight in the Gulf on July 3, 1988.

All 290 people on board were killed, most of whom were on their way to Mecca.

The US said the Airbus A300 was mistaken for a fighter jet.

President George W. Bush denounced Iran as part of "axis of evil" in 2002

President George W. Bush's State of the Union address caused public outrage in Iran in January 2002.

US President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union address 29 January 2002 on Capitol Hill
Getty Images

Mr Bush said Iran was part of an "axis of evil" alongside Iraq and North Korea.

He often repeated the phrase throughout his presidency to describe foreign governments that were allegedly sponsoring terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction.

Nuclear fears and sanctions between 2000-2013

In 2002, an Iranian opposition group revealed that the country was developing facilities to build nuclear weapons, which included a uranium enrichment plant.

Iran denied building a secret nuclear programme after the US fired off accusations.

For a decade, the countries engaged in diplomacy and Iran worked with the UN's nuclear watchdog.

But several rounds of sanctions were still imposed by the UN, the US and the EU against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.

Iran's currency lost two-thirds of its value in just two years.

Nuclear deal under Obama between 2013 - 2016

In September 2013, President Barack Obama and the newly-elected moderate Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani spoke over the phone.

It was the first top-level conversation between the two nations in more than 30 years.

In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers known as the P5+1, which included the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

Under the agreement, the country agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Trump abandons Nuclear deal in 2018

In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump abandons the nuclear deal. Pictured: Hassan Rouhini
AFP/Getty Images

He then reinstated economic sanctions against the country before threatening to do the same to countries and firms that continue buying its oil.

Iran's economy fell into a deep recession.

Iran shot down US military drone in 2019

Tensions between the US and Iran escalated in May 2019, when the US tightened the sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Iran then began a counter-pressure campaign.

When explosions hit six oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in May and June, the US accused Iran.

Iran shot down a US Global Hawk drone (Reuters )
Reuters

On June 20, Iranian forces shot down a US military drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

The US claimed the drone was over international waters, but Iran said it was over their territory.

Iran then started rolling back key commitments to the nuclear deal in July.

Qassem Soleimani assassination and retaliation in 2019

On January 3, Iran's top military commander General Qassem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike in Iraq.

Iran then launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraq bases where US troops are stationed in retaliation for the assassination on January 7.

Qasem Soleimani funeral in Iran

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British forces were in the coalition military bases, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab confirmed.

The Ministry of Defence in London subsequently said there had been no British casualties.

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