The high-stakes standoff between the United States and Iran in the present day – adding to an already unstable West Asia – can be described as an allyship gone wrong, fraught with complications due to the nuclear angle.

From the 1953 CIA-backed coup to the 2025 ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’ strikes on nuclear facilities, the relationship between theUS and Iranhas gone from a Cold War strategic partnership to decades of deep-seated military and political hostility.

Once close allies under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s “Atoms for Peace" programme, the 1979 Islamic Revolution changed everything about this dynamic into a “cold war" between the two countries. This has been defined by regional proxy battles and direct military engagements, including the 1988 destruction of half of Iran’s operational fleet and the 2020 assassination of General Qasem Soleimani.

The two sides are caught between the persistent threat of total war and the fitful pursuit of a stable nuclear agreement. At acritical pointnow, they have tried to hold diplomatic talks in Geneva and Oman to address their issues.

American President Donald Trump has indicated a 10-day critical window, intensifying an already volatile situation due to significant internal unrest within Iran and a heavy US naval presence in the region.

The transformation of US-Iran ties from strategic allyship to hostility is most visible through its history of direct military strikes.

According to historical records, the 1988 ‘Operation Praying Mantis’ was a pivotal moment where the US Navy destroyed approximately half of Iran’s operational fleet in a single day in retaliation for a naval mine. This established a precedent for direct, high-intensity military engagement that resurfaced decades later.

In the modern era, however, there has been a shift towards targeted assassinations and precision strikes. The 2020 assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, via a drone strike marked a significant escalation.

This was followed by more recent operations, such as the February 2024 airstrikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. Most recently, in June 2025, the US launched ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’ on Iran’s nuclear facilities following a 12-day war involving Israeli-Iranian exchanges.

Here is a timeline of tensions between the US and Iran:

Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News