미국과 이란 간 불신과 갈등의 역사

An Analysis of the Historical Context of Bilateral Relations Between the US and Iran: Distrust and Antagonism Since 1953

Due to a United States drone air strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3rd, 2020, Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Forces, was assassinated along with nine other people including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, commander of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia. The military operation was condemned by the Iranian government and many superpowers because Soleimani was not a non-state actor such as Osama bin Laden, but a state actor. Despite anticipated international condemnation and opprobrium, the Trump administration resolutely embarked on taking controversial and dangerous military action against Iran. Soleimani’s killing by the U.S. government sharply escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran and stoked fears of military conflict, which in the end did not take place. This study will look into the historical context of bilateral relations between the U.S. and Iran. This historical approach will help the reader understand that this military operation did not simply occur with the escalation of political tensions between the two countries. It was the result of a long history based on distrust and antagonism between the U.S. and Iran since 1953.