The U.S. and Iran used to be allies. What happened?

Here & Now Anytime

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4.1 • 953 Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

Though the U.S. and Iran were once allies, their relationship has since turned tense in the last 40 years. Now, President Trump is weighing U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. Historian and author John Ghazvinian joins us to unpack decades of history in U.S.-Iran diplomacy.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Ira Glass of This American Life.
0:02.2	Each week on our show, we choose the theme, tell different stories on that theme.
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0:17.4	Some big, epic emotional stories and some weird funny stuff, too. Download us,
0:22.7	this American life.
0:25.2	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:29.6	Revolution didn't start out as an anti-American revolution, but it quickly went in that direction.
0:33.9	The two countries broke off ties in April of 1980 and have never restored them since.
0:37.5	As President Trump weighs U.S. involvement in the latest Middle East climate The two countries broke off ties in April of 1980 and have never restored them since.
0:42.0	As President Trump weighs U.S. involvement in the latest Middle East conflict,
0:46.0	we look back at the country's decades-long relationship with Iran.
0:53.1	It's Friday, June 20th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBWR Boston.
0:54.7	I'm Shiko Theuri.
1:03.2	Today on the show.
1:13.6	As Iran and Israel continue to exchange missile attacks, the U.S. is contemplating what to do. It's unclear how President Trump is going to act.
1:16.6	Iran's supreme leader has threatened the U.S. with, quote, irreparable damage if it gets involved in the conflict.
1:23.6	There's a lot of history that's led to this moment.
1:26.6	In fact, the U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for more than 40 years.
1:32.0	There's more history than we have time for.
	...

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