Timeline: US and Iran relationship

Head of Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds force, was killed in US strike on Friday

President Hassan Rouhani  offering his condolences to the family of killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Suleimani. Photograph: Iranian Presidency/AFP/ Getty Images
President Hassan Rouhani offering his condolences to the family of killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Suleimani. Photograph: Iranian Presidency/AFP/ Getty Images

July 25, 2015 – The US, Iran and other world powers including the UK announce an agreement they describe as a "first step" toward preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

October 2016 – Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will withdraw the US from the deal if elected.

May 8th, 2018 – US president Trump announces the US will withdraw from the Iran deal. Iran, Britain, France and Germany say they will maintain the pact.

August – November 2018 – The US reimposes economic sanctions on Iran, targeting oil, shipping, banking and other sectors.

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April 8th, 2019 – Mr Trump says he will designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organisation, despite opposition from the US military.

April 22nd, 2019 – The US says it will end exemptions on sanctions against countries buying oil from Iran.

May 8th, 2019 – Iran announces it will increase its production of enriched uranium.

May 12th, 2019 – Two oil tankers from Saudi Arabia, and one each from the United Arab Emirates and Norway are attacked in the Persian Gulf. The US blames Iran.

June 20th, 2019 – Iran shoots down a US drone it says violated its airspace, which America denies. Mr Trump orders attacks against Iran but cancels them shortly before they were to be launched.

July 1st, 2019 – Iran says it has exceeded the amount of low-enriched uranium it was allowed to produce under the 2015 agreement.

July 4th, 2019 – British marines seize the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 in Gibraltar at the request of the US.

July 18th, 2019 – Mr Trump says the US navy shot down an Iranian drone that came close to the ship.

July 20th, 2019 – Iran seizes the British-owned oil tanker Stena Impero near the Strait of Hormuz.

July 22nd, 2019 – Iran arrests 17 of its citizens and charges them with spying for the US. Some were reportedly executed.

December 27th, 2019 – An American civilian contractor is killed and several troops injured in a rocket attack in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, is blamed.

December 29th, 2019 – The US bombs three sites in Iraq and two in Syria which are linked to Kataib Hezbollah, killing 25 people.

December 31st, 2019 – Protesters attack the US embassy in Baghdad.

January 2nd, 2020 – Iranian military leader Qassem Suleimani and five others are killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport.