The current war between Washington and Tehran is the culmination of a hostile relationship of almost half a century A spatter of misunderstandings and missed opportunities for reconciliation. The root of this enmity lies in the clash of ideologies and interests between two countries aspiring to hegemony, one on a global scale and the other on a regional one. However, it is often overlooked that the first major tension between the US and Iran predates the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. In fact, the Ayatollahs' regime is its consequence.