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Iran since 1979: revolution, crises and wars with Israel and the United States
This dossier traces the Islamic Republic of Iran from Ruhollah Khomeini’s return in February 1979: the monarchy’s overthrow, the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq War, Ali Khamenei’s succession, sanctions, domestic protests and nuclear negotiations. It also follows regional confrontation through Tehran’s allies, rapprochement with Saudi Arabia and the transition to direct Iran-Israel attacks in 2024.
The twelve-day war of June 2025 is distinguished from the conflict opened on 28 February 2026 by US and Israeli strikes. The chronology examines Ali Khamenei’s killing and Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession, civilian victims, regional fronts, energy infrastructure, Hormuz, blockades and attempts at agreement. The Qatari consultations that originally defined this dossier remain integrated into the expanded history.
Sourced entries distinguish established facts, announcements, attributed responsibility and unverified outcomes. The reconstruction selects principal milestones rather than recording every military operation. No final, consistent human toll across all theatres is established here. Dates without a known time are ordered by calendar day.
Last updated : 66 key moments
Tehran, 3 December 2019. Illustrative archive photograph for the dossier; it does not show the 2025 or 2026 strikes. — GTVM92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 3 décembre 2019, sans modification.
Where things stand
As of 1 November 2026, the available sources establish no Hormuz reopening agreement from the Doha consultations. Tehran also announced terrorist designations for the Royal Navy and RAF and a hostile-group designation for MI6; the decision's practical effects are not established.
Reported information
Iran announces 'terrorist' designation for Britain's naval and air forces
Iran's Foreign Ministry announced on 1 November 2026 that it was designating the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as 'terrorist organisations' and foreign intelligence service MI6 as a 'hostile group'. These are the Iranian authorities' designations.
Tehran, December 2019. Archive photograph; it does not depict a 2026 decision or military operation. — GTVM92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 3 décembre 2019, sans modification.
The ministry presents its decision as a reciprocal measure following British actions against the Revolutionary Guard. It also accuses London of supporting US and Israeli operations; that allegation remains attributed to Tehran.
The announcement distinguishes MI6's designation from that applied to the two armed services. The sources consulted describe the Iranian decision without establishing its practical effects on diplomatic relations or military operations. It adds to regional tensions but does not announce fresh hostilities.
Doha talks consider two-day Hormuz reopening proposal, with no agreement
Iranian negotiators continued consultations with Qatari mediators in Doha on 1 November 2026. Abbas Araghchi described a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days of a possible agreement, while stressing that no final conclusion had been reached.
West Bay in Doha, February 2026. Archive view; does not show the talks. P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, resized. — P. Hughes / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ — 4 février 2026, taille réduite.
Reuters places the exchanges on the third day of a mediation sequence that began in Tehran before moving to Doha. The Iranian minister presents the shorter proposed period as a development in the plan discussed with Qatar; it is neither US acceptance nor a reopening of the strait.
Araghchi also says no direct meeting with a US delegation is planned during the visit. The outcome depends, he says, on Washington’s response to Iranian conditions. The sources report continuing mediation but establish neither a final text accepted by both parties nor an agreed implementation timetable.
Mojtaba Khamenei orders readiness for response without geographic limits
Mojtaba Khamenei ordered Iran's armed forces on 31 October 2026 to prepare an immediate response without geographic limits to new attacks, according to a statement reported by several outlets. This is a directive and warning, rather than evidence of an operation carried out.
Tehran in December 2019. Archive image; it shows neither the leader nor a military operation. — GTVM92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 3 décembre 2019, sans modification.
Reuters and AFP, cited by Arab News, place the message on the leader's official Telegram account. Arabic-language Euronews reports the military-readiness instructions; L'Orient-Le Jour also reports the warning to Washington.
The message addresses the United States and Israel in the event of renewed attacks and presents military readiness as deterrence. The sources consulted establish neither the launch of such a response nor a target actually struck following the order. The statement comes alongside Qatari mediation efforts, without establishing that those efforts have stopped.
Iran: Rezaei says he has not replied to Vance's letter
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, says he has read a letter from US Vice President JD Vance but has not replied. Accounts published on November 1, 2026 attribute to him a positive assessment of a change in US tone, without any agreement announced.
West Bay, Doha, February 2026. Geographic archive illustration; it does not show the event described. — P. Hughes / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ — 4 février 2026, taille réduite.
According to Al Jazeera, Rezaei maintains that opening the Strait of Hormuz depends on meeting Iran's conditions. Iranian radio also reports that the letter remains unanswered.
The scope of the correspondence remains disputed: Al Jazeera reports that Donald Trump publicly limited Vance's role to assistance involving medical supplies. These statements do not establish an agreement on negotiations or reopening the strait.
Kfar Tebnit explosion: Israeli army describes controlled demolition
An explosion was reported in Kfar Tebnit, southern Lebanon, on 31 October 2026. While media reports describe a strike, the Israeli army says its soldiers carried out a controlled demolition; the precise nature remains disputed in the reports consulted.
Beirut, April 2019. Archive view of Lebanon; it shows neither Kfar Tebnit nor the explosion. — Laura C Ellis / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 18 avril 2019 ; sans modification.
The Times of Israel relays the Israeli military's explanation: destruction of infrastructure described as a routine operation, without further details. Arabic-language Al-Jazeera and L'Orient-Le Jour report Israeli military activity in the south, carrying an AFP-credited image of smoke at Kfar Tebnit.
This material supports reporting the incident and the attributed accounts, but does not resolve its mechanism. The selected documents establish no precise casualty toll for this explosion. That distinction prevents a media description from being presented as an independent finding.
Iranian negotiators hold Doha talks with Qatari mediators, Reuters reports
Iranian negotiators held talks in Doha with Qatari mediators on 31 October 2026, Reuters reports, citing a source briefed on the discussions. The exchanges follow the previous day's Tehran talks and do not amount to an announced agreement.
Doha, February 2026. Archive image; this view does not show the negotiations. — P. Hughes / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ — 4 février 2026, taille réduite.
Reuters' source said the contacts were coordinated with Washington. Axios also described Qatari efforts to enable renewed direct US-Iran dialogue, citing diplomatic sources. Both outlets rely on unnamed interlocutors; their personal independence cannot be established.
Disagreement concerns the sequence of confidence-building steps and conditions for renewed talks. A possible US visit to Doha, described by officials quoted by Al-Arabiya via Ajel, remains conditional on progress. No timetable accepted by the parties or operational outcome is established.
Qatari mediators return to Tehran, Reuters reports
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on 30 October 2026 to pursue an agreement between the United States and Iran, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the talks.
Tehran in December 2019. Archive photograph; it does not show the 2026 delegation. — GTVM92 — CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ — 3 décembre 2019, sans modification.
According to that source, mediation is coordinated with Washington. Reuters describes a disagreement over sequencing: the United States wants nuclear issues addressed at the outset, while Tehran first demands an end to the blockade of its ports and the lifting of oil sanctions.
An Anadolu dispatch citing Iranian media also reports the arrival of a Qatari delegation. The visit does not constitute an announcement of an agreement accepted by both sides.
