US-Iran Relations
A History of Confrontation
US-Iran relations have been adversarial since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the subsequent 444-day hostage crisis, in which Iranian revolutionaries held 52 American diplomats captive. The two countries have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980.
Key flashpoints include: the 1988 US downing of Iran Air Flight 655 (killing 290 passengers, claimed as an accident); US support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88); the Khobar Towers bombing (1996); and the repeated cycles of nuclear negotiations and sanctions. The 2015 JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) represented the closest the two sides came to normalized relations; Trump withdrew the US from it in 2018.
- The January 2020 US killing of IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport marked a major escalation; Iran retaliated with missile strikes on US bases in Iraq.
- Iran began enriching uranium beyond JCPOA limits after the US withdrawal; by early 2026, Iran had enriched to 60% purity (far beyond the 3.67% JCPOA ceiling) and had sufficient HEU for multiple nuclear devices.
- The JCPOA was formally declared terminated in October 2025 after the June 2025 Iran-Israel war.
- The February 2026 strikes on Iran represent a qualitative escalation — the first time US forces directly struck Iranian territory and Iranian leadership.
● Tracked since February 24, 2026 · last seen May 06, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes