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Allies to adversaries: US-Iran relations over the decades

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March 18, 2026

How did the US and Iran go from close allies to bitter enemies locked in decades of crises, coups, sanctions and war? With insights from Negin Shiraghaei and Ian Lesser, DW traces the crises shaping today's conflict.

DW traces the dramatic arc of US-Iran relations — from the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, to the Islamic Revolution, the hostage crisis, secret backchannel dealings, the nuclear standoff and the current conflict. The United States even supplied nuclear technology to Iran,  before the 1979 Islamic Revolution transformed the country and its relations with the US. Speaking to Iranian activist Negin Shiraghaei, founder of the Azadi Network, and Ian Lesser from the German Marshall Fund, DW explores how generations on both sides have processed these conflicts — and how shifting domestic politics, nationalism and foreign policy goals shape the current war.

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