Lumpy Lumbaca
The relationship between the United States and Iran is far more intricate than a conventional bilateral conflict. Dubbed the “twilight war,” U.S.-Iranian relations is replete with examples of Irregular Warfare (IW), including events of the recent past like the U.S.-Russia-Iran proxy war in Syria, the Yemeni proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Iranian support to Hamas for October 7th, Iran’s assassination plot of the Saudi ambassador to the United States, and the U.S. targeting of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. For the United States, leveraging Irregular Warfare helps implement an approach meant to “restor[e] maximum pressure on the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon, and countering Iran’s malign influence abroad”—such as Iran’s own IW campaign in the Middle East. A historical review of U.S.-Iran relations and military actions shows this trend is not new, but instead demonstrates its continued role in shaping today’s strategic environment.
From Shah to Ayatollah: The Iranian Revolution and Changes in US-Iran Relations
In 1949, the United States established the Voice of America (VOA), which began broadcasting in Iran that year, promoting “liberal developmentalism” centered on modernization, improved technical capacity, political pluralism, and American music in order to contain Soviet influence and promote Westernization in Iran. In 1953, U.S. and British intelligence agencies supported a coup to overthrow democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. The CIA supported this subversion to shield the British-owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company and mitigate wider economic risks after Mossadegh nationalized Iranian oil and resisted Western interests.
The coup restored the Western-friendly monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Deeply unpopular among Iranians, the Shah relied on U.S. support to maintain power. In 1954, the Shah signed the Consortium Agreement that granted U.S., British, and French oil companies 40 percent ownership of Iran’s oil industry for 25 years. From 1957, the United States provided Iran support for nuclear, military, economic, and governance programs.
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