1951-2020: 69 years of US-Iran relations leading to Soleimani's killing

Death of General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, has heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington with fears of furr escalation. But interference of United States in Iran dates back to 1950s when it helped overthrow a democratic leer in a coup. 

Former Iranian Prime Minister Mohamm Mosseq tried to nationalise British-controlled oil industry threatening Britain’s ecomic interests, especially at a time when its empire was fighting for its survival in Middle East. United States was rooting for a peaceful resolution and encourd Britain to negotiate with Mosseq. Washington even hosted Iranian Prime Minister in October 1951 but efforts to reach an agreement failed.

failed negotiations forced Central Intelligence ncy (CIA) and British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) to orchestrate a coup d'état and Mosseq government was eventually toppled by a royalist military in 1953. Iran’s constitutional monarchy turned into a royal dictatorship under Shah Mohamm Reza Pahlavi, second and last monarch from House of Pahlavi.

Decline in bilateral relations

Iran’s relationship with United States drastically declined after dictatorship of Reza Pahlavi was toppled in a popular revolution in 1979. During Shah’s regime, Iranian religious leer Ayatollah Khomeini questioned his relationship with United States but was arrested and exiled to Turkey. Khomeini started an opposition movement from Paris in 1978 which was followed by famous Iranian revolution that forced Shah to relinquish his leership.

Khomeini proclaimed an Islamic republic and fifty-two Americans were held host for more than a year, incident mentioned by US President Donald Trump on January 4, 2020, where he threatened Iran to attack its 52 sites. In 1980, Washington severed ties with Tehran, expelled Iranian diplomats and banned American exports to Middle East nation. US tried to rescue hosts through a secret operation but h to abort plan after eight service members died in a helicopter crash due to b wear. 

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bilateral relations between two countries remained in turmoil as United States kept accusing Iran of supporting terrorism and of trying to weaponise it with nuclear arms. In 1993, former President Bill Clinton campaigned against Iran to isolate it and imposed sanctions of companies investing in Iran. Several attempts were me to mend ties between two countries but all in vain, even after Iran gave tacit support to United States during latter’s operation in Afghanistan against Taliban.

In 2002, George W. Bush deunced Iran, including Iraq and rth Korea, as a part of ‘axil of evil’, and repeatedly accused “axis” of sponsoring terrorism and harbouring weapons of mass destruction. In response, term ‘axis of resistance’, an alliance comprising Iran, Syria, and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, was used by Iran. 

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2015 nuclear deal: Glimmer of hope

relationship between Iran and US saw a glimmer of hope during second term of Obama ministration when former President started negotiations with Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani. In 2015, Iran reached a historic nuclear deal with P5+1 group which included US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. Iran, under 2015 nuclear deal, formally kwn as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), agreed to limit sensitive nuclear activities in lieu of lifting ecomic sanctions.

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However, Trump ministration, in May 2018, withdrew from nuclear deal accusing Iran of violating terms of JCPOA and followed it with crippling ecomic sanctions. bilateral relationship has been vulnerable since n with Trump pressuring or countries to impose sanctions on Iran. In December last year, Rouhani said that country is rey to hold nuclear talks with United States on condition that y lift “unlawful” sanctions. 

recent attack by Iran-backed militia killed several services members including an American contractor, to which United States retaliated with airstrikes killing 25 fighters Kataeb Hezbollah. It led to outr among pro-Iran voices and protesters entered high-security US embassy in Baghd and vandalised building. US President Donald Trump reacted sharply to incident and threatened Iran that y will pay a “big price”. 

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threat was followed by a precision strike by US forces at Baghd international airport, killing Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organisation. re has been an outpouring of grief over death of Soleimani, who was pivotal to Iran’s covert operations in Middle East, and Iran’s Supreme Leer vowed to exact “severe revenge for criminals who bloodied ir foul hands with his blood”. 

Though Trump has claimed that attack was aimed to stop a war and t to start one, many experts are of opinion that this could w le to overt and covert war between two countries and its allies.

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