Department of Research, Studies and International News -23-06-2025

For over seven decades, the United States has pursued a hostile and interventionist policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran, an approach marked by regime change, economic strangulation, and direct military aggression. From orchestrating coups to launching airstrikes and backing adversaries in regional conflicts, Washington’s pattern of interference in Iran’s sovereignty continues to undermine the stability of West Asia. This long arc of hostility has escalated again in 2025, following a dangerous military assault ordered by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Origins of hostility: Regime change in 1953

The roots of U.S.-Iran enmity trace back to 1953 when the CIA, in collaboration with British intelligence, orchestrated a coup to depose Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. His efforts to nationalize Iran’s oil industry, which was dominated by British interests, were seen as a threat to Western economic control. The coup reinstated the authoritarian rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a Western-aligned monarch who suppressed dissent and handed Iran’s resources back to foreign powers.

Nuclear cooperation turned pretext

Ironically, it was the U.S. itself that first supported Iran’s nuclear program in the 1950s under the Atoms for Peace initiative. The Shah received a nuclear reactor and enriched uranium from Washington. Today, that very program, once nurtured by the West, is used as a pretext for sanctions, isolation, and military threats against Tehran.

1979 revolution: A turning point

The 1979 Islamic Revolution marked a fundamental rupture in Iran’s relationship with the West. The Iranian people overthrew the Shah’s dictatorship and rejected foreign domination by establishing an independent Islamic Republic under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. That revolution not only changed Iran’s domestic structure but also challenged U.S. hegemony in the region. In retaliation, the U.S. severed diplomatic ties, imposed sweeping sanctions, and began a campaign of vilification that has lasted until today.

Backing Saddam Hussein’s war

During the bloody Iran-Iraq war (1980–88), Washington openly supported Saddam Hussein, supplying intelligence and turning a blind eye to Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Iranian civilians and soldiers. This support revealed the West’s willingness to sacrifice human rights for geopolitical gain.

Crimes without accountability

In 1988, the U.S. Navy shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 civilians. The U.S. never issued a formal apology. Instead, it paid token compensation and shielded the officers involved. These actions added to a legacy of injustice that has only deepened Iran’s mistrust of American intentions.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Washington tightened economic sanctions, isolating Iran from the global financial system. Under the guise of preventing nuclear proliferation, the U.S. sought to weaken Iran’s economy and limit its regional influence. Successive administrations labeled Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” despite its central role in fighting groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda, organizations with murky histories of Western support.

The JCPOA and its sabotage

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) marked a diplomatic breakthrough, with Iran agreeing to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanction relief. The deal was backed by China, Russia, the EU, and others. However, in 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, reimposing sanctions and intensifying pressure. This betrayal derailed progress and fueled regional tensions.

Assassinations and provocations

In 2020, the U.S. assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad. This act of state terrorism was a direct attack on Iranian sovereignty and triggered retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq. Meanwhile, Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the region, has persistently threatened and carried out attacks on Iranian territory under unproven claims about nuclear weapons development.

Renewed escalation in 2025

Despite symbolic diplomatic overtures in early 2025, including unofficial talks in Oman and Italy, Trump’s administration resorted once again to military aggression. In coordination with Israeli forces, the U.S. launched aerial assaults on three major Iranian nuclear facilities. Claiming to “protect global security,” these strikes only reinforced the perception of the West as aggressors, not peacekeepers.

Tehran has vowed retaliation, warning that any act of war will be met with a proportionate response. China and Russia have condemned the strikes and reiterated support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology under international law.

Conclusion

The history of U.S.-Iran relations is not one of mutual misunderstanding, but of sustained Western hostility, domination, and betrayal. In stark contrast, countries like China and Russia have consistently advocated for Iran’s sovereignty and regional stability. As Iran faces yet another chapter of aggression from the West, the world must recognize the urgent need to resist imperialist narratives and support a multipolar order grounded in mutual respect, not coercion.