1953 Coup To 2025 Op Midnight Hammer: What Is The History Of The Conflict Between Ex-Allies US And Iran?

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 22:54 IST

Once close allies under the Shah's "Atoms for Peace" programme, the 1979 Islamic Revolution changed everything about this dynamic into a "cold war" between the US and Iran

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 the US and Iran has 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 a critical point now, 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. 

FRIEND TO FOE: A LOOK AT MILITARY STRIKES BETWEEN US, IRAN

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:

1953: The CIA and British intelligence orchestrate a coup to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalised Iran’s oil industry, reinstating the Shah as an absolute monarch and a key US ally.

1957: The US launches Iran’s nuclear programme, providing a reactor and fuel for “peaceful energy" under the “Atoms for Peace" initiative.

1979: The Islamic Revolution overthrows the Shah. Iranian students later storm the US Embassy in Tehran, holding 52 Americans hostage for 444 days leading the US to sever diplomatic ties.

1980s: During the “Tanker War", the US provides intelligence to Iraq. In 1988, the US Navy conducts ‘Operation Praying Mantis’ and, later, accidentally shoots down Iran Air Flight 655, a civilian airliner, killing 290 people.

2015: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal, is signed to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

2018: The US withdraws from the JCPOA, initiating a “maximum pressure" campaign.

2020: The US assassinates General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad; Iran retaliates with missile strikes on US bases in Iraq.

2025: Following a period of intense tension, the US conducts ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, direct strikes on the Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites using B-2 stealth bombers.

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