The History of Iran and America
Around 1970, while America and Iran were the best of friends-Iran's schools and colleges ran on the American model. America had modernised Iran completely.
America had westernized Iran — filled it with alcohol, disco, and Western culture. Iran was an Islamic country, and it was being torn apart from the inside.
Ayatollah Khomeini Takes Over
Russia brought Khomeini in. He came to Iran and said, "America has destroyed us. American culture will not survive here — Islamic culture will."
Khomeini took over, the existing president had to flee, and Khomeini became the Supreme Leader. He reversed everything — banned Western clothes in schools, brought back Islamic law. He even killed people who had liquor licenses!
America vs Iran — The Hostage Crisis
America was furious. Iran retaliated by taking around 250 people hostage inside the American embassy. America said, "How dare you hold our diplomats!"
America sent five helicopters to rescue them. A massive sandstorm hit, one helicopter crashed, and a wedding procession passing by fired rockets and blew up another one. The hostages were split into different jails so America couldn't rescue them all at once.
Iran kept those Americans hostage for 2 full years. America was brought to its knees. A deal was eventually made. And that's where the enmity between America and Iran began — and it continues to this day.
The Red Flag Warning
In Iran, there's a mosque where if a red flag is raised, it means war can happen at any moment. That red flag has been flying since September 2024.
How Did the US-Iran War Actually Start?
There's a big question mark even inside America right now — why are we fighting this war?
Did America attack Iran to protect itself? Or did Israel drag America into this conflict?
The reason this question is floating around is that Trump and his own Secretary of State Marco Rubio are telling two completely different stories.
Trump's Version:
Trump says the decision was based on self-defence. His intelligence reports were showing that Iran was getting ready to attack Israel and other targets in the region. So America struck first before Iran could make a move.
Trump even went a step further and said — "If anyone dragged anyone into this war, it was the USA that dragged Israel in, not the other way around."
That's a very bold statement, especially from the US President, who obviously needs to look strong and in control.
Rubio's Version — Completely Opposite:
One day later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said something totally different.
According to Rubio, America already knew that Israel was planning to attack Iran. And if Israel attacked Iran, Iran would obviously hit back. And in that retaliation, American military bases and forces in the region could also get hit.
So America's logic was — "Since Israel is going to attack Iran anyway, let's join in and strike first ourselves, so that when Iran retaliates, our losses are minimal."
Why This Matters:
If Rubio's version is true, it means America didn't really choose this war — Israel did. America just followed along to protect its own assets.
That's the controversy. The US army is out there fighting. But nobody in Washington can clearly explain whose war this actually is.
Why This Matters Globally
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of all the world's traded oil. And Iran appears to be using that as a weapon — targeting ships and sending a clear message: "Even if we can't win on the battlefield, we can still hurt the global economy."
Why India Specifically Will Feel This Hard
A huge chunk of India's oil comes from the Gulf region. Here's the breakdown of where India gets its energy from:
- Qatar — 42% (mainly LNG gas)
- USA — 18.5%
- UAE — 11.5%
- Angola — 7%
- Nigeria — 5%
- Others — about 16%
So between Qatar and the UAE alone, up to 15% of India's oil supply is currently stuck or at risk. And Qatar has now decided to pause its shipments too — because Qatar itself is being targeted by Iranian strikes.
This is not a small disruption. India will feel this squeeze very soon.
Why India Needs Iran
India has a very good relationship with Iran. We buy cheap oil from them. It's a barter system with Iran.
More importantly, Iran is the only land route through which India can reach Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe. If Iran gets destroyed like Syria and Iraq, we lose that corridor completely.
When their president passed away, India declared national mourning and lowered the flag. We respect Iran because it's in our national interest.
If Iran is destroyed, Saudi Arabia becomes the only oil seller. Then they'll charge whatever they want and we'll have no choice. Right now, competition keeps prices low — Iran and Saudi Arabia keep undercutting each other, and India gets oil as cheaply as ₹27. That competition benefits us enormously.