President Donald Trump, in an 8-minute video stating his reasons for the U.S. attacks on Iran, cited the antagonistic and sometimes bloody history between the two countries going back to 1979.
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted ‘Death to America’ and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries,” Trump said on Feb. 28.
U.S. involvement in Iran started in 1953, when the U.S. and the U.K supported a coup d’état and regime change, installing a leader that Iranians overthrew 26 years later.
Despite the contentious history, Trump’s decision to attack Iran represents a significant escalation from actions of past U.S. presidents.
Here’s a look at what’s happened between the U.S., Iran, and Israel, which initially launched the attacks and was joined by the U.S.
