From Mossadegh to the Gulf: timeline of US‑Iran tensionsThe United States and Iran, holding talks in Oman on Friday, have been locked in rivalry since the 1953 CIA- and MI6-orchestrated coup against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who nationalized Iran's oil industry.
1953: Coup against Mossadegh
Operation Ajax saw the CIA spend $1 million (equivalent to around $10 million today) to topple Mossadegh via bribes, mob riots, and propaganda. Declassified CIA files confirm this sparked 25 years of US-propped Shah autocracy, with over $1.4 billion in military aid fueling repression.
1957: Establishment of SAVAK
The CIA, with support from Israel’s Mossad, helped train and equip Iran’s secret police, SAVAK, notorious for torturing and disappearing tens of thousands of political dissidents. US and Israeli advisors taught brutal interrogation methods—including beatings, electric shocks, and psychological abuse—that strengthened the Shah’s domestic repression and fueled public anger leading to the 1979 Revolution.
1979: Hostage Crisis
On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized dozens of US diplomats and embassy staff, demanding the extradition of the former Shah. Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days, with some released on humanitarian grounds. In April 1980, Washington severed diplomatic ties and imposed sanctions; the remainder were freed in January 1981 under the Algiers Accords.
1980–1988: US support for Iraq in Iran-Iraq War
As Iraq invaded in 1980, the US provided satellite intelligence, $5 billion in dual-use exports—including chemical precursors—and naval escorts for Iraqi oil. The war caused over one million deaths, tilting the conflict against Tehran.
1983–1986: Iran-Contra affair
Even as it backed Iraq, the US secretly sold Iran about 1,500 missiles to secure the release of hostages, diverting some profits to fund Nicaraguan rebels. This two-faced policy prolonged Iran’s isolation and fueled distrust of Washington.
1988: Operation Praying Mantis
In April 1988, during the Iran–Iraq War, Iranian forces laid naval mines in the Persian Gulf, one of which struck the US Navy frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts.
In response to this attack, the United States launched Operation Praying Mantis, destroying half of Iran's naval vessels and several offshore oil platforms. This was the largest US–Iran surface naval engagement since World War II and significantly weakened Iran’s naval capabilities in the Gulf.
1995–2002: Economic sanctions and “axis of evil”
On April 30, 1995, President Bill Clinton banned all US trade and investment with Iran over alleged nuclear and terrorism concerns, targeting foreign companies in the country’s oil and gas sectors.
Later on January 29, 2002, President George W. Bush labeled Iran part of an “axis of evil” alongside Iraq and North Korea, in part to justify the US upcoming invasion of Iraq.
2000s–2018: Nuclear programme and US withdrawal
Early 2000s revelations of secret nuclear sites sparked US concerns over weapons development, which Iran has consistently denied. A 2011 IAEA report noted that Iran pursued nuclear explosive activities until at least 2003, but Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes.
In 2005, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad resumed uranium enrichment. A decade later, Iran reached the Vienna nuclear deal with world powers—including the US—exchanging limits on its nuclear programme for sanctions relief, a pact endorsed by the United Nations.
During US President Donald Trump’s first term, Washington unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to gradually roll back its commitments.
In April 2019, the US designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.
2020: Assassination of General Soleimani
On January 3, 2020, a US drone strike killed Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad Airport. Washington cited an “imminent” threat without providing evidence. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on US forces in Iraq.
2025: Attacks on nuclear sites
Negotiations between the United States and Iran resumed in 2025 but collapsed over disagreements regarding uranium enrichment.
On June 21, 2025, amid Israel's 12-day war on Iran, US joined the attack by strikinh three major Iranian nuclear sites.
Subsequent diplomatic efforts also failed, and at the request of France, the UK, and Germany, the UN reimposed sanctions on 28 September, 2025. The accord formally lapsed in October.
2026: Military threats in the Gulf
In late 2025, Trump threatened strikes against Iran, citing domestic protests as a pretext, and sending a Gulf “armada” including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in January 2026. The United States is pressing for a broad agreement covering Iran’s ballistic missiles, regional influence, and nuclear program.Tehran insists talks remain limited to its nuclear programme, citing sovereignty over its missile programme.
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