For more than forty years, the United States and Iran have had a very tense relationship. While relations between the two countries remain one of the most sensitive issues on the international stage, new indirect talks resumed at the end of last year…
A rivalry rooted in history
The rift between the United States and Iran dates back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which led to the fall of the Shah, an ally of Washington, and the establishment of a regime hostile to American influence. Since then, the two countries have been unable to maintain direct diplomatic relations and have clashed on numerous occasions, whether over regional conflicts, economic sanctions, or Iran’s nuclear program.
Since the early 2000s, this same nuclear issue has been the main point of friction : Western powers fear that Iran’s program will lead to the manufacture of atomic weapons, a prospect that Tehran systematically denies.
However, in 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a major international agreement, was signed between Iran and several powers, including the United States, imposing strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for a gradual lifting of sanctions. But the balance was broken in 2018 when Washington withdrew from the agreement, believing that it was not enough to prevent Iran from eventually acquiring nuclear weapons.
Since the end of this agreement, the situation has continued to deteriorate. Iran has gradually and significantly increased its uranium enrichment capabilities and reduced its cooperation with international inspectors, heightening concerns about the possible militarization of its nuclear program, even as the United States has stepped up diplomatic pressure on the country.
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