THE U.S., ISRAEL & IRAN
How we got here, why America is involved, and why it affects you
Last updated: September 6, 2026
THE 30-SECOND VERSION
If you read nothing else, understand this:
1. The United States and Iran are currently in direct military conflict.
U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets again in September 2026, and Iran responded with missiles and drones against U.S. positions.
2. The U.S. and Israel have an unusually deep military relationship.
The United States committed $38 billion in military assistance over 10 years, including $3.3 billion annually in military financing and $500 million annually for missile defense under the existing agreement.
3. U.S.–Iran hostility has deep historical roots.
In 1953, the CIA helped overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and replace his government with one more favorable to the West. Declassified U.S. records explicitly document the operation.
4. Iran is not simply an innocent victim of foreign intervention.
Its government has supported armed groups across the region, developed major missile capabilities, repressed domestic opposition, and expanded its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
5. Iran and Israel were not always enemies.
Their hostility intensified after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and developed into decades of covert operations, proxy warfare and eventually direct attacks.
6. The Iran nuclear issue has a critical missing piece.
Iran accepted strict nuclear limits under the 2015 JCPOA. The United States withdrew from that agreement in 2018 and restored sanctions. Iran subsequently began violating the agreement's nuclear restrictions and greatly expanded enrichment.
7. This war can affect your grocery and gas bills.
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries oil volumes equivalent to about 20% of global petroleum consumption. Fighting there has already pushed oil prices higher.
This conflict is therefore not simply:
“Iran versus Israel.”
It involves American military power, Israeli security, Iranian security and regional influence, nuclear weapons fears, Palestinian politics, armed groups, oil, international trade, decades of foreign intervention, and competition among major world powers.
1. WHY ARE THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN ENEMIES?
You have to go back to 1953.
Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh challenged foreign control over Iran's oil industry by nationalizing it.
The United States and Britain became deeply involved in efforts to remove him.
This is not a conspiracy theory.
Declassified U.S. government records describe a CIA campaign whose stated target was:
Prime Minister Mossadegh and his government.
The CIA's objective was to replace his government with a pro-Western government under the Shah.
A 1954 CIA memorandum states that the operation successfully accomplished Mossadegh's removal on August 19, 1953.
Even President Dwight Eisenhower later wrote privately about America's role, noting that the United States had helped restore the Shah to power and remove Mossadegh.
VERIFY IT YOURSELF
Read the declassified U.S. State Department/CIA record of the operation
Read Eisenhower's documented comments about the coup
2. WHY DID 1953 MATTER SO MUCH?
After Mossadegh's removal, the United States developed a close relationship with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The Shah modernized Iran but governed through an authoritarian monarchy.
Opposition eventually exploded.
In 1979, the Iranian Revolution overthrew the Shah and established the Islamic Republic.
That dramatically reversed Iran's foreign policy.
Iran went from being an American partner to one of America's strongest regional adversaries.
Later that year, Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
The United States and Iran severed formal diplomatic relations.
VERIFY IT
U.S. State Department history of the Iranian crisis
3. HOW CLOSE ARE THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL?
Very.
The relationship includes:
billions of dollars in military assistance;
weapons sales;
missile-defense cooperation;
intelligence sharing;
joint military exercises;
research and weapons development;
diplomatic cooperation;
counterterrorism cooperation.
In 2016, the two governments signed a 10-year agreement committing the United States to $38 billion in military assistance.
That includes:
$33 billion in military financing
and
$5 billion for missile-defense programs.
Under the agreement, the United States normally provides:
$3.3 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing
$500 million per year for missile defense.
Additional funding can also be authorized separately.
VERIFY IT
U.S. State Department — U.S.–Israel relations and military assistance
U.S. government announcement of the $38 billion agreement
4. WHY DOES AMERICA SUPPORT ISRAEL SO STRONGLY?
There is no single explanation.
Major factors include:
Military strategy
Israel is an advanced military and intelligence partner in a strategically important region.
Historical ties
The United States recognized Israel shortly after its establishment in 1948.
The Holocaust and antisemitism
The persecution and murder of European Jews profoundly influenced Western support for Jewish security and statehood.
Domestic American politics
Support for Israel exists across important constituencies within both major political parties.
Evangelical Christianity
Some large Christian movements strongly support Israel for religious as well as political reasons.
Defense cooperation
The countries jointly develop missile-defense and military technology.
Regional strategy
Israel has long been an important U.S. partner in countering regional adversaries.
None of these factors alone explains the relationship.
5. IRAN AND ISRAEL WERE NOT ALWAYS ENEMIES
This is often left out.
Before Iran's 1979 revolution, Iran and Israel maintained significant unofficial relations.
The Islamic Republic subsequently became intensely hostile toward Israel.
Iran later built relationships with armed movements that oppose Israel and U.S. influence.
This became what Iran and its partners call the:
“AXIS OF RESISTANCE”
It has included organizations such as:
Hezbollah — Lebanon
Hamas — Palestinian territories
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Iran-aligned Iraqi militias
Houthis — Yemen
Iran has supplied different combinations of:
weapons,
money,
training,
technology,
and intelligence.
However, these groups have different histories and varying levels of independence from Tehran.
VERIFY IT
Council on Foreign Relations — Iran's regional armed network
Council on Foreign Relations — Hezbollah explained
Council on Foreign Relations — Iran and the Houthis
6. WHY WOULD IRAN BUILD AN ARMED NETWORK?
Put yourself geographically in Iran's position.
Iran sees:
American military bases and forces throughout the region,
a heavily armed Israel closely supported by Washington,
and decades of U.S. sanctions and military pressure.
Iran therefore built missiles and relationships with armed groups to create deterrence—the ability to threaten retaliation if attacked.
From Iran's perspective:
These forces help prevent enemies from attacking Iran.
From America's and Israel's perspective:
These forces allow Iran to attack its opponents throughout the region.
Both perspectives are important for understanding the strategy.
Understanding Iran's reasoning does not mean endorsing its actions.
7. THE NUCLEAR ISSUE
Iran has developed an extensive nuclear program.
Iran says its program is peaceful.
The United States, Israel and other governments have feared that Iran could develop the ability to build nuclear weapons.
The key concept is:
URANIUM ENRICHMENT
Natural uranium has to be processed for many nuclear applications.
Centrifuges increase the concentration of a particular uranium isotope.
That is called enrichment.
Nuclear-power fuel uses relatively low enrichment.
Weapons-grade uranium generally requires enrichment around 90% U-235.
Iran eventually began producing uranium enriched to 60%.
That is not the same thing as possessing a nuclear bomb.
But getting from 60% to weapons-grade material is considerably easier than beginning from natural uranium.
That is why the international community treats this level as extremely significant.
8. THERE WAS A NUCLEAR AGREEMENT
In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with:
the United States,
China,
Russia,
France,
Germany,
the United Kingdom,
and the European Union.
It was called the:
JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION — JCPOA
Iran agreed to restrictions including limits on:
uranium enrichment,
centrifuges,
its enriched-uranium stockpile,
and certain nuclear facilities.
It also accepted extensive international monitoring.
In exchange, nuclear-related sanctions were lifted or suspended.
VERIFY IT
Detailed explanation of the JCPOA from the Arms Control Association
9. THEN THE UNITED STATES LEFT
On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement.
The United States then restored extensive sanctions.
At that point, international inspectors had been reporting Iranian implementation of its nuclear commitments.
Iran initially remained in the agreement with the other countries.
Beginning in 2019, Iran started exceeding JCPOA restrictions while demanding sanctions relief.
Over the following years, Iran dramatically expanded its enrichment program.
So two facts should be understood together:
The United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement first.
AND
Iran subsequently expanded its nuclear activities far beyond the agreement's limits.
Leaving out either fact gives readers an incomplete history.
VERIFY IT
Timeline of Iran nuclear diplomacy and the 2018 U.S. withdrawal
10. HOW DID A “SHADOW WAR” BECOME OPEN WAR?
For years, Iran and Israel largely fought indirectly through:
cyberattacks,
assassinations,
sabotage,
airstrikes,
intelligence operations,
and Iran-backed armed groups.
The regional conflict expanded dramatically after October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and Israel launched its subsequent war in Gaza.
Fighting spread involving:
Israel,
Iran,
Hezbollah,
the Houthis,
Iranian-aligned Iraqi groups,
and eventually American forces.
By 2026, the conflict had become direct.
11. WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?
As of September 6, 2026, the United States and Iran have been directly exchanging military attacks.
On September 1, U.S. forces launched major strikes against Iranian military targets.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against U.S. military positions in the region.
The conflict has continued for months and has included fighting involving Israel as well.
CURRENT REPORTING
Reuters — U.S. launches new strikes on Iran and Tehran responds
Reuters — September 2 overview of renewed U.S.–Iran attacks
12. WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS TO YOU
Look at a map between Iran and Oman.
That narrow waterway is the:
STRAIT OF HORMUZ
It is one of the most important energy chokepoints on Earth.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, during the first half of 2025 approximately:
20.9 million barrels of oil per day
moved through Hormuz.
That was equivalent to approximately:
20% OF GLOBAL PETROLEUM-LIQUIDS CONSUMPTION.
It also represented roughly one-quarter of global maritime oil trade.
There are pipelines that bypass Hormuz—but they cannot replace all of its capacity.
VERIFY IT
U.S. Energy Information Administration — Strait of Hormuz data
13. WHY A MIDDLE EASTERN WAR CAN RAISE YOUR PRICES
Oil affects far more than gasoline.
It affects:
trucking → groceries
shipping → consumer goods
aviation → airfare
agriculture → food
petrochemicals → plastics and manufacturing
transportation → nearly everything
When oil shipping becomes dangerous:
insurance costs rise,
shipping slows,
oil supplies tighten,
markets anticipate shortages,
and energy prices can increase.
In September 2026, renewed U.S.–Iran fighting caused oil prices to rise sharply amid concerns about disruptions around Hormuz.
SEE THE CURRENT ECONOMIC EFFECT
Reuters — Oil prices rise more than $4 amid renewed U.S.–Iran fighting
14. PALESTINIANS ARE NOT HAMAS
These distinctions are essential:
Palestinians ≠ Hamas
Lebanese people ≠ Hezbollah
Iranians ≠ the Iranian government
Israelis ≠ the Israeli government
Jewish people ≠ Israel
Muslims ≠ Iran
Governments and armed organizations make political and military decisions.
Entire ethnic, religious or national populations should not be held collectively responsible for those decisions.
15. CRITICIZING A GOVERNMENT IS NOT HATING A PEOPLE
It is possible to criticize:
the Israeli government,
the Iranian government,
the U.S. government,
Hamas,
Hezbollah,
or another political institution
without attacking an ethnic or religious group.
Likewise, understanding why a government fears another government does not require agreeing with its actions.
16. THE SECURITY DILEMMA
One concept explains much of this conflict.
Country A increases its weapons because it feels threatened.
Country B sees those weapons and becomes afraid.
Country B increases its weapons.
Country A sees that buildup and says:
“See? We were right to prepare.”
Both sides become increasingly armed.
Both feel increasingly insecure.
Political scientists call this a:
SECURITY DILEMMA
That does not mean every side has equal power or equal responsibility.
It explains how fear itself can create escalation.
17. WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED?
SAUDI ARABIA & THE GULF STATES
They depend heavily on regional stability, oil exports and American security relationships while also maintaining relationships with Iran.
CHINA
China depends heavily on Middle Eastern energy and maintains economic relationships across the region.
RUSSIA
Russia and Iran have developed significant military and strategic cooperation.
LEBANON
Hezbollah is an Iranian-supported political and armed movement operating there.
YEMEN
The Iranian-supported Houthis have attacked international shipping and Israel.
IRAQ
Iran-supported armed groups operate alongside Iraq's complicated domestic political system.
PALESTINIANS
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its own history and cannot simply be reduced to an Iranian proxy conflict.
18. INTERNATIONAL LAW STILL APPLIES
War does not mean anything becomes legal.
International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between:
civilians
and
military targets.
Major principles include:
DISTINCTION
Civilians cannot intentionally be targeted.
PROPORTIONALITY
Expected civilian harm cannot be excessive compared with the anticipated concrete military advantage.
PRECAUTIONS
Militaries must take feasible steps to reduce civilian harm.
These rules apply regardless of whether the military is:
American,
Israeli,
Iranian,
or part of another armed organization.
19. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LEARN
Foreign-policy arguments often depend on where someone starts the timeline.
If someone begins Iran's story with:
“Iran hates America.”
Ask:
What happened before that?
You eventually reach 1953.
If someone begins with:
“America overthrew Iran's government.”
Ask:
What happened afterward?
You eventually encounter the revolution, hostage crisis, Iranian repression, regional armed groups and nuclear conflict.
If someone begins Israel's history with:
“Israel was attacked.”
Ask what came before.
If someone begins with:
“Israel attacked Palestinians.”
Ask what came before.
Keep asking.
HISTORY RARELY BEGINS WHERE A POLITICAL SPEECH TELLS YOU IT BEGINS.
FOLLOW FOUR THINGS
When trying to understand international politics, follow:
MONEY
Who finances whom?
WEAPONS
Who supplies military equipment?
RESOURCES
Where are the oil, water, minerals and trade routes?
POWER
Who gains strategic influence from the outcome?
Those questions often reveal more than political slogans.
QUESTIONS AMERICANS SHOULD BE ASKING
How much American money is being spent?
What military operations has Congress authorized?
What objectives would actually constitute victory?
What are the risks of escalation?
What diplomatic alternatives exist?
Who supplies each side with weapons?
Who economically benefits?
What happens to civilians?
What happens to energy prices?
What happens if other major powers become involved?
What evidence supports government claims?
And perhaps most importantly:
What happened before the event I am being shown?
CHECK THE SOURCES YOURSELF
Do not take this page—or any government, politician, influencer or news organization—on faith.
U.S. involvement in the 1953 Iranian coup
Declassified U.S. government records
U.S. military relationship with Israel
Iran's nuclear program
International Atomic Energy Agency
The 2015 Iran nuclear agreement
Arms Control Association JCPOA explainer
Iran's regional armed network
Strait of Hormuz and global oil
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Current U.S.–Iran conflict
Reuters — September 2026 conflict reporting
THE BOTTOM LINE
You do not have to choose between believing:
“Iran is completely innocent.”
or
“America and Israel have done nothing wrong.”
History is much more complicated.
The evidence shows that:
The United States intervened directly in Iranian politics.
Iran's government later became an authoritarian regional power with its own record of military intervention and repression.
The United States developed an exceptionally deep military relationship with Israel.
Iran developed an armed regional network designed partly to counter American and Israeli power.
A diplomatic agreement once significantly restricted Iran's nuclear program.
The United States withdrew from that agreement.
Iran later greatly exceeded its nuclear restrictions.
Decades of escalation eventually produced direct warfare.
And now civilians throughout the region—and people far beyond it—live with the consequences.
PROTECT THE COLLECTIVE
Understand before you choose a narrative.
Read beyond headlines.
Check original documents.
Question every government—including your own.
Separate civilians from political leaders.
Follow the money.
Follow the weapons.
Follow the history.
Knowledge gives communities the power to hold institutions accountable.