From friends to foe: How Iran became US and Israel's 'Jaani Dushman'
Israel carried out targeted airstrikes last week under
Operation Rising Lion
, damaging key Iranian installations, including nuclear facilities and the South Pars gas field, its largest. As per reports, the US is also likely to join Iran-Israel conflict. US President
Donald Trump
has been pressuring Iran to negotiate a deal regarding its nuclear programme after withdrawing US from a nuclear treaty that was negotiated by his predecessor
Barack Obama
. The hostility between US–Iran and Israel–Iran has been brewing for decades now, but there was a time when the three got along well with each other.
Historic US–Iran ties and the rise of conflict
Iran and the United States once shared strong diplomatic and strategic relations.
1951
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Undo
In 1951, Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh nationalised the British-run Anglo-Iranian Oil Company to reclaim control over the country's oil wealth.
1953
In a coup orchestrated by US and British intelligence agencies the Iranian PM was ousted and a friendly monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
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was installed in Tehran.
1954
In the same year he was forced by the U.S. and UK to sign the Consortium Agreement of 1954, which gave U.S., British, and French oil companies 40% ownership of the nationalised oil industry for 25 years.
1957
The Shah-era also saw the start of nuclear cooperation. Under US President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 'Atoms for Peace' programme, Iran received nuclear education and enriched uranium fuel.
1960
After OPEC was created Iran due to its large share in oil production became an important part of the US foreign policy.
1972
To protect US interests in the Middle East Richard Nixon tells Iran they can buy as many non-nuclear weapons he needs, it leads to Iran buying a large number of weapons which unsettles the officials in Washington D.C.
1976
In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon gave Iran open access to non-nuclear weapons, while Iran placed large defence orders, including 150 F-16 fighter jets, with an option of extending the deal for an additional 150 fighter jets. Iran also discussed barter deals with US defence contractors, offering oil in exchange for Spruance-class destroyers.
Israel and Iran: Once allies
Following the creation of Israel in 1948, Iran became the second Muslim-majority country to recognise it officially. During this time, both countries shared concerns over the growing influence of Arab states in the region. Israel offered agricultural and military expertise to Iran, which in return paid in oil.
Until the 1979 revolution, Iran hosted the second-largest Jewish population in the Middle East. Though many left after the revolution, around 20,000 Jews still live in the country.
When Friends became Enemy no. 1
In 1979, Iran underwent a major political shift. The Shah was overthrown, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who had been exiled for 14 years, took over as
Supreme Leader
. Khomeini's return marked the beginning of Iran's anti-West theocracy.
Khomeini opposed the Shah's pro-Western reforms under the 'White Revolution' and vowed to spread the Islamic revolution across the region.
After the Islamic Revolution the F-16 and the destroyer deal didn't go through and the Shah went to the US for cancer treatment. The US-Iran relations nosedive after the revolution. It was reported that under the use Peace Marble programme 104 of the F-16 were bought by Israel.
Following the Shah's ousting, the F-16 and destroyer deals collapsed. Relations between Iran and the US sharply declined, especially after the Shah travelled to America for cancer treatment. In response, 52 American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage in Tehran, held for 444 days until the US agreed to the Algiers Accord, which included a promise not to interfere in Iranian politics.
Batman-famed actor
Ben Affleck
directed and starred in the movie Argo, which is based on the Iran hostage crisis.
It was reported that under the US's Peace Marble programme, 104 of the F-16 meant for Iran were sold to Israel.
During Lebanon's civil war in 1980 Israel sent its troops in south Lebanon to intervene and on the other hand Iran sent it IRGC to support the local Shiite's. This support led to the formation of
Hezbollah
which became Iran's proxy in Lebanon. The Iranian government repeatedly denied that Holocaust was real.
In 1983 two trucks filled with explosives rammed into barracks occupied by multi-national in Beirut, Lebanon which killed 241 US soldiers. The following year the State Department designated Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Rise of regional conflicts and proxy wars
By the 1980s, the rift between Iran and Israel widened further. During Lebanon's civil war, Israel deployed troops to southern Lebanon, while Iran sent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to support local Shia groups. This support contributed to the creation of Hezbollah, which later became Iran's regional proxy.
In 1983, two truck bombings targeted US military barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American soldiers. The United States soon after labelled Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. Iran continued to deny the Holocaust and backed militant groups, worsening ties with both Israel and the US.
Present-day tensions escalate with Operation Rising Lion
With decades of hostility and proxy battles in the Middle East, last week's airstrikes under Operation Rising Lion marked a significant escalation. Former US President Donald Trump had already increased pressure on Iran by exiting the nuclear treaty negotiated under Barack Obama and demanding a new agreement.
The legacy of former partnerships, military agreements, and deepening distrust continues to shape the volatile relations among Iran, Israel, and the United States today.
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