Relations between Iran and the United States since 1979

November 21 1979, Tehran, Iran: Hundreds of thousands of women demonstrate against the US. They shout for the Shah in return for the hostages who are in their 19th day of captivity Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

1979, Tehran, Iran: An American hostage is shown before the media by his Iranian captors Photograph: MPI/Getty

April 25 1980, Washington, US: President Jimmy Carter prepares to address the American people on nationwide television from the Oval Office at the White House following the failed mission to rescue the Iran hostages Photograph: AP

January 21 1981, Algiers: A group of hostages give the victory sign as they emerge from an Algerian aircraft after their flight from Tehran where they had been held captive for 444 days Photograph: David Caulkin/AP

March 4 1987, Washington, US: President Ronald Reagan admits in a television address that he and his staff traded arms for hostages with Iran and funnelled profits to the Nicaraguan Contra armies Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

November 1987, Los Angeles, US: A poster depicting Ronald Reagan sends a message to viewers about Reagan's role in the events leading to the Iran-Contra hearings Photograph: Henry Diltz/Corbis

July 1 1988, Tehran, Iran: Iranian mourners attend an anti-US demonstration after the USS Vincennes accidentally shot down an Iranian Airbus plane Photograph: Barry Iverson/Time Life Pictures/Getty

January 8 1998, Tehran, Iran: CNN correspondent Christianne Amanpour interviews president Mohammad Khatami. The interview was the first of its kind by an Iranian leader since ties were broken between the US and Iran following the 1979 Islamic revolution Photograph: Getty

March 17 2000, Washington, US: Secretary of state Madeleine Albright talks about the US decision to lift a ban on imports of Iranian luxury goods and to try to settle outstanding legal claims between the two countries Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty

January 29 2002, Washington, US: President George Bush delivers his state of the union address during which he describes Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an 'axis of evil' Photograph: Luke Frazza/AFP

January 2 2003, Bam, Iran: A child cries as another child is treated by doctors at the American field hospital Photograph: Salah Malkawi/Getty

April 8 2006, Tehran, Iran: Students hold anti-US slogans reading 'talking to the devil?' and 'The return of America is a dream that will not come true' during a protest over the upcoming Iran-US negotiations on Iraq Photograph: Behrouz Mehri/AFP

May 7 2006, Tehran, Iran: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks at the Basij Militia. The following day Ahmadinejad sent a letter to George Bush proposing new ways to resolve 'the current vulnerable situation in the world' Photograph: Hosein Fatemi/Fars News/Reuters

April 18 2007, Tehran, Iran: A girl passes a mural at the former US embassy Photograph: Manca Juvan/Corbis

May 28 2007, Baghdad, Iraq: The US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Kazemi Qomi (left) attend a meeting on security in Iraq. Iran and the US resumed public diplomacy in May 2007 for the first time in more than a quarter century Photograph: Hadi Mizban/AP

February 3 2007, Isfahan, Iran: A technician at the uranium conversion facility Photograph: Caren Firouz/Reuters