The two countries have been standing loyal to mostly one notion when it comes to each other; their severed diplomatic ties. Since the abduction of some 50 American diplomats by Iranian students back in 1980, Iran and the US have not seen the friendly side of each other.
The tussle had its seeds sown way back in the 80s Reagan administration when sanctions were laid on Iran as a result of the aforementioned hostage crisis. Iranian assets worth more than $10 billion were frozen, and all economic ties were ended. The situation was further intensified when US supported Iraq in the Iraq-Iran war of the 80s and later on by the infamous Hezbollah Bombings of 1983.
It is tough to stay fair to all the aspects that have had an effect on the relations between US and Iran since the list goes on. US and allies advocate that Iran’s support towards Hezbollah is intolerable and should be stopped, which Tehran has given no heed to so far. Iran’s continuous and persistent opposition of Israel on all possible grounds has always been the fire starter as the US has always purported their alliance as an unwavering friendship while Iran, on the other hand, labels Israel as their sworn enemy. Iranian president Ahmedinejad has voiced threats against Israel on countless occasions. Denying Israel as a state, the supreme leadership of Iran has gone as far as calling the war against Israel as a duty that would end only when Israel is completely wiped off the map.
The United States, has voiced concerns against Iran’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their nuclear program has been criticized all over the international community. The air of mistrust had led both countries to shoot each other on a small scale; for example, when some Iranian officials were arrested in Baghdad by the American forces, or when the US army attacked Iranian consulate in Irbil. The attack was aided by an American belief that Iran is aiding and arming insurgents. The situation has worsened to the level that now all Iranian interests in the United States are handled through the Pakistani embassy.
Iran is under a constant arms ban along with a total economic embargo imposed by America. The stringent policy includes sanctions on any company doing business with Iran, and direct sanctions against Iran Air and Tidewater Middle East Co. a company that runs Iranian ports. This is due to the belief that Iran has been supplying aid to insurgents and terrorists around the Middle East, and the fact that Iran has once chided that it would be quite easy for them to close down the Persian Gulf. America’s view is to impose heavy bans on Iran’s energy sources that provide about 80% of the country’s revenues, all the property of Central Bank of Iran was frozen by the US in 2012.
The recent developments have not been seen by analysts as good tidings and the two countries might not be moving anywhere away from the feared and oft-mentioned war.
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