Iran and the United States have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980. Pakistan serves as Iran's protecting power in the United States, while Switzerland serves as the United States' protecting power in Iran. Contacts are carried out through the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the US Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

As of 2018, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei banned direct talks with the United States.

Relations between the two nations began in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, when Persia was known to the west as Iran. Initially, while Persia was very wary of British and Russian colonial interests during the Great Game, the United States was seen as a more trustworthy foreign power, and the Americans Arthur Millspaugh and Morgan Shuster were even appointed treasurers-general by the Shahs of the time.

During World War II, Persia was invaded by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, both US allies, but relations continued to be positive after the war until the later years of the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was overthrown by a coup organized by the Central Intelligence Agency and aided by the MI6. This was followed by an era of very close alliance and friendship between Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime and the US government, Persia being one of the US's closest allies, which was in turn followed by a dramatic reversal and disagreement between the two countries after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Opinions differ as to the cause of the cooling in relations. Iranian explanations include everything from the natural and unavoidable conflict between the Islamic Revolution on the one hand, and perceived American arrogance and desire for global hegemony on the other.

Other explanations include the Iranian government's need for an external bogeyman to furnish a pretext for domestic repression against pro-democratic forces and to bind the government to its loyal constituency.

The United States attributes the worsening of relations to the 1979–81 Iran hostage crisis, Iran's repeated human rights abuses since the Islamic Revolution, and its growing influence in the Middle East.

Days ago, Iran issues an arrest warrant against U.S President Donald Trump and asks Interpol for help.

Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr accuses Trump and 30 others of "murder and terrorism charges" for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in January.

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Alleged negotiation between Iran and US domestic propaganda for Trump
Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, has roundly denied the recent claims regarding Iran’s secret negotiation with the US, stating that there have been no talks between Iran and the United States, and that they are propaganda intended for domestic use to benefit Trump.
http://en.hausatv.com/news/content/19883