TEHRAN - The latest U.S.–Israel assault on Iran began on February 28. Missiles streaked across the sky, striking command centers, air defense sites, political institutions, and civilian infrastructure — including a school, where nearly 170 people were killed, most of them students.

Washington and Tel Aviv framed it as a decisive strike — the moment they would finally cripple Iran’s military, fracture its leadership, and force a political transformation they had long desired. 

But within days, the narrative cracked. Iran retaliated with precision strikes on U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf and on Israeli military sites. Energy markets convulsed. U.S. casualties mounted. And by the fourth week, President Donald Trump — who had vowed no ceasefire under any circumstances — suddenly began speaking of progress in negotiations, a claim Tehran dismissed outright.

To Iranians, this wasn’t a new war. It was the continuation of a struggle that began in 1979.

The coup that never died

The roots of the February 28 conflict reach back to 1953, when the CIA overthrew Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and restored the Shah. That coup taught Iranians a lesson they never forgot: When Iran asserts independence, Washington intervenes. Everything after 1979 grew from that soil.

Carter: When ‘island of stability’ disappeared 

Jimmy Carter toasted the Shah in 1977: “Iran is an island of stability in one of the most troubled areas of the world.”
When the revolution toppled that “island,” Washington lost its most obedient ally. Carter responded with sanctions and isolation, treating the Islamic Republic as a temporary mistake — something to be pressured until it collapsed or surrendered.
The dream of undoing the revolution began here.

Reagan: Attempting to contain Iran 

Ronald Reagan escalated the confrontation. In 1984, his administration labeled Iran “the world’s most prominent state sponsor of terrorism,” effectively casting the Islamic Republic as an outlaw state in Washington’s worldview. His government backed Saddam Hussein in the Iran–Iraq War, provided battlefield intelligence, and tolerated Iraq’s chemical attacks on Iranian troops. The 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 — killing 290 civilians — became, for many Iranians, a symbol of U.S. disregard for Iranian lives. Reagan’s objective was clear: contain and weaken the outlaw he believed Iran had become.

Bush Sr.: ‘Goodwill’ gesture 

George H. W. Bush offered a diplomatic smile with a sharp hook. In 1989 he said: “Goodwill begets goodwill.”
But the “goodwill” he demanded required Iran to change its political orientation and regional posture — in effect, to behave more like the Shah. The message was clear: the Islamic Republic would be accepted only if it stopped being itself.

Clinton: The sanctions president

Bill Clinton intensified the economic war. In 1995 he announced: “The actions and policies of the Iranian government constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat.”
He imposed a full trade embargo and labeled Iran a “rogue state.” The strategy was simple: suffocate Iran economically until its leadership surrendered or fell.

Bush Jr.: The 'axis of evil' doctrine

George W. Bush delivered the most explicit regime change message of all. In 2002 he declared: “Iran… constitutes an axis of evil.” With U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iran was suddenly encircled. Washington think tanks openly discussed Iran as the next target. The Islamic Republic’s very existence was framed as a threat to global order.

Obama: Diplomacy wrapped in pressure

Barack Obama spoke of engagement, but his pressure was unprecedented. In 2009 he said: “If countries like Iran unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand.”
Behind that “hand” was the harshest sanctions regime Iran had ever faced. The JCPOA was a diplomatic breakthrough, but it came only after years of economic warfare designed to force strategic concessions.

Trump: Maximum pressure, maximum ambition

Donald Trump tore up the JCPOA and launched “maximum pressure.” At the UN in 2017 he said: “The longest suffering victims of the rulers of Iran are its own people.”
His administration assassinated General Qassem Soleimani, backed anti-Iran groups, and imposed crushing sanctions. Officials denied seeking regime change, but the strategy was built around exactly that hope.
The February 28 war was the logical extension of this doctrine.

Biden: 'We’re going to free Iran'

Joe Biden entered office promising diplomacy but shifted course during the 2022 protests. In California he said: “Don’t worry, we’re going to free Iran. They’re going to free themselves pretty soon.” Negotiations stalled. Sanctions stayed. Washington again bet on internal pressure to achieve what external force had not.

A single goal across eight presidents

From Carter to Biden, the tools changed — sanctions, covert operations, military threats, diplomatic isolation — but the ambition stayed the same: To reshape Iran’s political system into something aligned with U.S. interests. Yet every attempt failed. Iran did not surrender its strategic assets. Iran did not abandon its independent foreign policy. Iran did not collapse under sanctions. Iran did not accept a U.S.-designed regional order. Instead, pressure hardened Iran’s resolve.

Why the ongoing war is failing too

From Mossadegh’s oil nationalization to the 1979 Revolution to today, Iran’s political identity has been built around resisting foreign domination. Even Iranians who disagree internally often unite against external coercion.

This is why the February 28 war — like every U.S. effort before it — is failing. The Islamic Republic’s endurance is not just state power; it is national memory.

The off-ramp that isn’t victory

Nearly a month into the conflict, Washington is already searching for a way out. Rising global energy prices, U.S. casualties, and regional instability have exposed the limits of coercion. President Trump now speaks of “progress in talks.” Tehran rejects the claim. The U.S. considers this an off-ramp. Iran calls it familiar.

For forty-seven years, the United States has tried to pressure, isolate, or coerce Iran into abandoning its revolutionary identity and strategic independence.

Every president tried. Every president failed. And the February 28 war is proving no different.