US, Iran Timeline: Iran's History of Putting Presidents On The Hot Seat

Staff Writer

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The recent events in Israel have caused a reexamination of the United States' relationship with Iran.

Eyes of the world are on the Middle East after Palestinian militant organization Hamas, designated as a terrorist group by the United States, conducted a multi-faceted attack via air, land and water on Israeli citizens on October 7 in what was the deadliest such attack in Israeli history.

The attack was met with Israeli resistance, with the country retaliating by launching its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Thursday, at least 1,300 people had been killed in Israel, the Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli military. At least 1,350 people had been killed in Gaza, according to authorities there, the AP said. Militants are also holding an estimated 150 people taken hostage from Israel.

Iran Hamas US Israel Palestine — A man tills the ground near a concrete barrier along the Lebanon-Israel border on October 12, 2023, as Israel's war now flaring in the south mainly along the Gaza Strip border. Here's a timeline of... JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

A senior Hamas official stated that their militant group was in active coordination with Iran before, during and after the attack. Ahmed Abdulhadi, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, told Newsweek following the attack that Hamas had also coordinated with Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah and with other factions of a so-called "Axis of Resistance" before the assault.

Tehran denied such claims; however, the Iranian Mission to the United Nations told Newsweek on Wednesday said that the Islamic Republic had provided Palestinian fighters with "skills" to aid them in their attacks.

The Biden administration has also dismissed claims of the U.S. financially aiding Iran while Israel and Hamas are at war. References have been made to the U.S. and $6 billion of aid to Iran, though the White House National Security Council (NSC) has dismissed accusations that some or all of that amount has been freed for Iran's benefit.

On Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated to reporters that Iran has not accessed a single dollar of that frozen cash.

Tensions have also risen due to American citizens who were in Israel at the time of the attacks, some of whom were captured as hostages and whose whereabouts remain unknown. Nine Americans were pronounced dead earlier this week by the U.S. State Department.

U.S. troops currently stationed across the Middle East remain on the lookout for any Iranian militia groups aiding Hamas and Palestinians.

Timeline U.S.-Iran Relations

The following is a timeline of U.S.-Iran relations dating back to the Dwight Eisenhower administration:

1950s: Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

1953: CIA orchestrates a coup against Iran's Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, reinstating Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
1950s-60s: U.S. supports the Shah's regime with economic and military aid.

1960s: John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) & Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

U.S. continues support for the Shah, focusing on military strengthening against Soviet expansion.

1970s: Richard Nixon (1969-1974), Gerald Ford (1974-1977) & Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

1970s: Shah's regime becomes oppressive, leading to protests.
1979: Iranian Revolution overthrows the Shah; Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini establishes an Islamic Republic.
1979: Iranian militants seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days (Iran Hostage Crisis).
The hostage crisis severely impacts Jimmy Carter's presidency, contributing to his loss in the 1980 election.
Hostages are released on January 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan is inaugurated, after 444 days of captivity.

1980s: Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

1980: U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Iran.
1981: Hostages are released as Reagan is inaugurated.
1980s: U.S. supports Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War and covertly sells arms to Iran (Iran-Contra Affair).

1990s: George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) & Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear program and support for terrorist organizations.
1997: Mohammad Khatami, a moderate, is elected president of Iran, sparking hopes for improved relations.

2000s: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

2002: Iran is labeled as part of the "Axis of Evil."
2003: Iran's comprehensive negotiation offer to the U.S. is rejected.
U.S. continues to impose sanctions due to Iran's nuclear activities.

2010s: Barack Obama (2009-2017)

2015: JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal) is signed, lifting some sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran's nuclear program.
2016: U.S. and Iran conduct a prisoner swap.

2017-2021: Donald Trump (2017-2021)

2018: Trump withdraws the U.S. from the JCPOA and reimposes sanctions.
2020: Iranian General Qasem Soleimani is killed in a U.S. drone strike.

2021-Current: Joe Biden (2021-Current)

2021: Biden expresses willingness to return to the JCPOA if Iran complies with its nuclear commitments.
2021: Indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran take place in Vienna.
October 2023: Israel-Palestinian conflict intensifies, with Israel launching extensive attacks on Gaza, and the health system of the enclave collapsing amid a total blockade following a Hamas attack. Iran's stance and potential actions in this scenario are closely watched by the international community.