Video: The Ups and Downs of US-Iran Relations

The United States officially conducted a military strike against Iran on Saturday, 28 February 2026 local time, resulting in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

This development occurred following increasingly tense relations between the two nations and negotiations that have failed to reach consensus, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear development programme. Notably, several years prior, the bilateral relationship had been considerably more cordial.

Consequently, what precisely has caused this conflict? What is the actual nature of the relationship between the two countries? And why have these two nations resorted to military action against one another? These questions are explored in this programme examining the ups and downs of US-Iran relations, featured in CNBC Indonesia’s Power Lunch programme on Monday, 2 March 2026.