• Source:JND

The long-standing diplomatic tensions between Tehran and the US reached the boiling point on February 28, as Israel and the United States launched a missile attack on Iran, reducing the hope for a diplomatic solutions of long-running nuclear dispute between Iran and the West.

The tensions have dramatically evolved in the past decade following the nuclear deal between Iran and America and the collapse. And since then, the region has seen several periods of unrest and wars.

The fresh escalation of tension finds its roots in the protest inside Iran against several domestic issues, including inflation and a failing economy, and nuclear talks between Tehran and the US. While the US and Tehran continued negotiating a temporary suspension of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for economic sanction relief, Trump deployed huge warships and military forces in the Middle East, arguing that if a deal is not reached, weapons will help. Earlier, Trump said that regime change would be the best thing to happen in Iran.

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A timeline on US-Iran-Israel Tensions

  • In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPOA) was signed to ensure that Iran limits its nuclear aspirations in exchange for relief from economic sanctions by the US and EU. The comprehensive action plan had backing from the UN Security Council.
  • The US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018, employing the strategy of ‘maximum pressure’ and reimposing the economic sanctions, which severely affected Iran’s economy, leading to domestic unrest due to the high cost of living.
  • The US launched a missile attack against Iran, targeting and killing the commander of Iran’s IRGC Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani. Responding to the aggression, Iran launched attacks on US bases in Iraq.
  • During Biden's tenure as POTUS, he tried to revive the nuclear deal between the countries, but it kept dragging, and Iran continued its programme from Janury 2021 to January 2025.
  • As Trump returned for a second tenure as POTUS in February 2025, he renewed his ‘maximum pressure’ strategy.
  • A twelve-day war erupted between Iran and Israel in June 2025, when Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear sites with help from the US. In retaliation, Iran launching attack on US bases in Qatar. Later, the aggression was concluded after a mediation by Qatar.
  • Nationwide protests erupted in Iran over inflation, with Trump warning that the US was closely monitoring the situation in December 2025.
  • President Trump is reportedly considering a limited military strike on Iran to pressure it into complying with his nuclear deal demands in February 2026.

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