Yahoo News Explains: The tense history between the U.S. and Iran
Earlier this year President Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Now, he’s reinstating all sanctions on the country that were in effect prior to the agreement.
The administration said it hopes the pressure will force the country to change its ways and stop its ballistic missile program.
President Trump’s predecessors also began crafting their Iran policy with similar bravado; but came around to accepting and respecting the reality of Iran as they became more experienced in office.
Iran's Message: https://t.co/ptmSMbOzeC— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) November 6, 2018
The foreign minister of Iran responded, saying, “The U.S. administration appears to believe that imposing illegal, draconian sanctions on Iran will bring about such pain on our nation that it will force us to submit to its will.”
How we got here:
1953: The CIA backs a plan to overthrow the Iranian prime minister.
1957: Iran signs an agreement with President Dwight Eisenhower to use nuclear energy peacefully.
1968: Iran, along with 50 other nations, signs the nuclear nonproliferation treaty to “make every effort to avert the danger of such a [nuclear] war.”
1975: President Gerald Ford agrees to allow U.S. material to be fabricated into nuclear reactor fuel in Iran.
1979: President Jimmy Carter bans Iranian oil imports after American citizens are taken hostage in Iran.
1987: The U.S. intervenes in the Iran-Iraq war to protect oil shipments from the Persian Gulf.
1996: President Bill Clinton approves sanctions against foreign companies dealing with Iran and Libya to “strengthen our fight against terrorism.”
2004: Iran agrees to halt uranium production.
2009: The U.S., Britain and France reveal a secret Iranian nuclear enrichment plant and demand that the country admit international inspectors.
2013: Iran signs the Joint Plan of Action, agreeing to curb nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.
2015: The JPOA is expanded in exchange for a significant easing of Iranian sanctions.
2016: The U.S. lifts all nuclear-related sanctions after the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Iran has restricted nuclear activities.
2018: President Trump reinstates sanctions on Iran.
After the most recent sanctions were imposed, Iranian citizens protested, and Iran’s president responded, calling the move an act of “economic war.”
