The US-Iran Relations After the Al-Aqsa Storm
Relations between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been fraught with problems right from the start. The issues were generated by Iran's so–called 'rogue state' behavior, including hostage taking, proxy warfare, association with terrorist activities and its nuclear program, and US bullying responses to it. As a result, several flashpoints have developed since 1979. A series of events for over 40 years culminated in a default setting of hostility and made it difficult for each to deviate from this default setting. In recent years, the hostility swiftly increased under the Trump administration since the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, followed by fresh and draconian economic sanctions. It peaked in 2020 when a well-known Iranian general named Qasem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC Quds Force, was assassinated by the US. This brought the situation between the US and Iran dangerously near to war. Still, they managed the risk as it has been for years. ...
