Coups to Soleimani killing, a look at US-Iran relations over the years

Iran's recent backing out from the JCPOA marks a new low in the US-Iran relations

On January 3 2020, tensions between US and Iran reached new lows after a US strike left Iran’s top army commander Major General Qassem Soleimani dead.

As the world watches the crisis unfold, here’s a brief history of the conflict-ridden relations between the two countries over the years:

1941: With an eye on containing the threat of expanding Nazi influence, Britain and the USSR invade western Iran. 

In September, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi takes over as the last Shah (emperor) of Iran. 

1949: After the end of World War II, pro-West and pro-USSR groups target Iran’s oil reserves. 

1951: Mohammed Mossadegh, a nationalist and a secular