1. US
1.1. U.S. policymakers viewed Iran as a threat to the security of Israel and Saudi Arabia
1.2. Iranian government also supports groups the US and EU considers terrorist groups
1.3. U.S. and Iranian military forces fought against ISIS
1.4. US and EU placed economic sanctions when finding out about a secret nuclear enrichment plant
1.4.1. Made deal to end sanctions in exchange to not build nuclear weapons
1.4.2. Donald Trump announced to withdraw from the agreement
1.5. Solomeini
1.5.1. Trump said Solomeini represented an imminent threat to U.S. soldiers in the region
1.5.2. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised to revenge
1.5.3. Trump threatened to bomb fifty-two sites in Iran (to the people held hostage in 1979)
2. Iran
2.1. Shia
2.2. Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah
2.3. Nov, 1979: Tehran was seized, 53 Americans taken hostage, not released until January, 1981
2.4. Iran-Contra deal:
2.4.1. During the 1980’s, Pres. Reagan aided the anticommunists in Nicaragua & El Salvador
2.4.2. Congress passed law banning future aid
2.4.3. members of Pres. Reagan’s staff secretly sold weapons to Iran & used the profits to fund the Contras
2.5. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defeated Mir Hossein Mousavi in 2009 (president election)
2.6. 2013, Hassan Rouhani became new president
2.6.1. Considered a reformist, Rouhani negotiated with the US to end sanctions against Iran in exchange to not build nuclear weapons.
2.7. Iran Deal
2.7.1. July, 2015 countries agreed to limit Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons
2.7.2. Iran agreed to only make enough uranium to provide electricity and no more
2.7.3. also agreed to eliminate their stockpile of uranium by 97%