US support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) further deepened Iranian distrust and hostility toward America.

During the brutal eight-year conflict, the US provided intelligence and material support to Saddam Hussein’s regime, which was fighting Iran. This backing was seen in Tehran as direct aggression and betrayal, reinforcing the narrative that the US was an enemy seeking to weaken Iran at any cost. The war’s devastation left scars that fueled long-term animosity.