WASHINGTON — A new chapter unfolds in the complex relationship between the United States and Iran, with uncertain prospects for improvement or deterioration.
For almost 50 years, acrimony has defined U.S.-Iran relations, marked by threats, conspiracies, and hostile rhetoric. Iran sees the U.S. as the “Great Satan,” whereas the U.S. categorizes Iran as a key player in the “Axis of Evil.”
Nevertheless, recent events have prompted an unexpected expression from the U.S. President, who surprised many by saying, “God bless Iran.”
This altered tone emerged following a week that saw intense U.S. bombings targeting Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s measured retaliation against a U.S. military base in Qatar, and a tentative ceasefire mediated by President Donald Trump amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
U.S. attacks caused substantial damage to three Iranian nuclear facilities but did not obliterate them, contradicting Trump’s claims of having dismantled Iran’s nuclear capabilities entirely, according to a U.S. intelligence report.
Why did President Trump speak of blessings?
Amid the initial triumph of a ceasefire—before full commitment from both Israel and Iran—Trump expressed jubilation via social media, hoping for peace in Israel, Iran, the broader Middle East, the U.S., and globally. “God bless Israel,” he tweeted, followed by “God bless Iran.” However, when hostilities persisted beyond immediate expectations, his optimistic tone turned more vulgar.
He criticized perpetual combatants, lamenting that their prolonged conflict has left them directionless, reserving specific criticism for Israel, a staunch U.S. ally perceived as more resistant to the ceasefire than Iran, a nation whose animosity towards America dates back generations.
How did U.S.-Iran relations become so strained initially?
The turning point was the 1953 Operation Ajax, a coup orchestrated by the CIA, with British aid, which toppled Iran’s democratically elected government and instituted the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Western powers feared Soviet influence and aimed to control Iran’s oil sector.
Though the shah realigned Iran with U.S. interests, his reign aroused internal resentment due to perceived autocracy and allegiance to U.S. interests. This discontent spurred the 1979 revolution, driving the shah into exile and empowering hardline theocrats.
What was the impact of the Iranian revolution on bilateral ties?
Significantly adverse.
On November 4, 1979, amidst seething anti-U.S. sentiment, Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy, taking 66 hostages and holding over 50 for 444 days, a prolongation that aggrieved the Carter administration and concluded minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration on January 20, 1981. Diplomatic relations were severed in 1980 and remain unmolested.
Was this week’s U.S. military action the first directed at Iran?
No. While recent events involved targeted bombings, prior substantial U.S. military action occurred famously at sea.
Operation Praying Mantis on April 18, 1988, saw the U.S. Naval forces strike Iranian vessels and installations in retaliation for the USS Samuel B. Roberts’ mining. Consequent hostilities prompted injuries and significant naval engagement akin to WWII encounters.
Did the U.S. support either side in the Iran-Iraq war?
Officially neutral, but the U.S. informally aligned with Iraq, providing economic assistance, intelligence, and technological support to mitigate threats of regional instability and oil supply disruptions amidst prolonged warfare (1980-1988). Resultant were massive death tolls and eventual schism in U.S.-Iraq relations.
What was the Iran-Contra affair?
A clandestine U.S.-Iran undertaking of the 1980s saw controversial arms sales orchestrated to secure the release of hostages in Lebanon, where loose Iranian proxy Hezbollah reigned. Secret financing flowed to Nicaraguan Contra rebels against U.S. trade restrictions. The affair scandalized the Reagan administration, exposing duplicity yet sparing formal repercussions.
Which countries does the U.S. categorize as state sponsors of terrorism?
Currently, four: Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria, all of which face encompassing sanctions.
However, Syria’s classification faces reevaluation following Bashar Assad’s governmental collapse.
What is the origin of the term “Axis of Evil”?
Coined by President George W. Bush in 2002, the term emerged in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks of 2001, later justifying the 2003 invasion of Iraq under the misguided notion of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. Bush denounced Iran, North Korea, and Iraq, decrying them as proponents of global terrorism.
How has the U.S. engaged Iran’s proxies and allies?
Entities like Hezbollah and Hamas, though worn by Israel’s unyielding assault, continue amid Syria’s restructuring post-civil conflict.
U.S. and British attacks target Houthi rebels in Yemen linked to maritime distress. Meanwhile, Iran-supported Shia factions in Iraq remain active web of persisting conflict.
How has Iran’s nuclear program evolved?
In 2015, a multination accord led by President Barack Obama constrained Iran’s nuclear initiatives in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran dismantled key infrastructural components and entertained international inspections.
However, Trump dismantled this accord in 2018, railing against its temporary curtailment of nuclear capacity and overlooking regional aggression. Accordingly, Iran revitalized its program, lately accelerating activities, per observers.
Iran’s then-President Hassan Rouhani responded provocatively: “Peace with Iran is the mother of all peace. And war with Iran is the mother of all wars.”
How did Trump answer Iranian challenges?
In January 2020, a U.S. drone strike—under Trump’s orders—claimed Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force. Shortly thereafter, retaliatory rhetoric culminated in foiled assassination plots allegedly targeting Trump. The U.S. Justice Department has implicated an Iranian operative and U.S.-based accomplices.
Now, Trump seeks peace through diplomacy post-conflict escalation, signaling a remarkable pivot in his policy approach.