Background:
In 1953 the United States teamed up with Britain to overthrow the leader of Iran at the time, Mohammed Mosaddegh and restored power to Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. The United States even then was interested in Iran for their oil reserves. The US had set in motion Operation Ajax that was made to put unrest in Iran using CIA agents. The unrest was created by harassing religious and political leaders and spreading harmful media. Then tensions took off in August when they attacked the throne hoping to overthrow Mosaddegh, only to find out that he had prepared for the attack. The coup was a success in the end resulting in a change of power. After World war ll Iran tried to cut some ties with the western world and regain control over their oil. With the U.S.being apart of their overthrowing in Iran, Iran saw the country as an opposing force creating tension between the two countries. During the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, a group of students kidnapped 52 people from the embassy. The hostage takers had a side goal of taking a jibe at America. Showing just how deep the tensions really were running. The opposition between the countries just kept growing during the Iran-Iraq war, when the U.S. supported Hussein, who invaded Iran. In the 1990’s Iran then gained nuclear power, this took the tension they had and made it highly dangerous. Their entanglement didn’t stop there, time went on and trade and weapons deals and negotiations went on between them. While their tense relationship didn’t ease, this sets the stage for the more recent fights between Iran and the United States.
Present:
On February 28, 2026, Operation Epic Fury was launched, with airstrikes from the United States under the presidency of Donald J. Trump towards Iran. The United States had targeted nuclear facilities, military bases, and the Iranian leadership. But what were the reasons and triggers to start such a war with Iran all of a sudden? The US wanted to stop Iran from creating nuclear weapons and destroy it with missile/military capabilities. For nearly 70 years, Iran has had a nuclear program; this program was used to develop nuclear weapons. Throughout that period, two deals were discussed between the US and Iranian governments. In 2015, the first deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.” The JCPOA, for short, was negotiated under Barack Obama, under which Iran agreed to limit its program and allow inspections, in return for which the U.S. and others lifted economic sanctions. In 2018, President Trump rejected the plan and called it a ” bad plan, ” due to it not covering their missiles and influence on the Middle East. Although President Trump had made a new deal, it was to give diplomacy a chance, to expand on it, he wanted to create a Middle East nuclear business that supplies fuel to nuclear power, but Iran rejected the offer. Since the United States has attacked three nuclear sites, which were Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. As has been done, Trump has killed the supreme leader, and now Iran is attacking US military bases in Israel as retaliation.
Sources:
https://thebulletin.org/2025/06/a-simple-timeline-of-irans-nuclear-program/
https://www.britannica.com/event/1953-coup-in-Iran
https://www.amu.apus.edu/area-of-study/legal-studies/resources/us-iran-relations/