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On April 13, Iran launched a large-scale retaliatory attack for an earlier Israeli airstrike on an Iranian consulate annex in Damascus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate, leading to an Israeli airstrike on April 18 targeting a major air base in Isfahan, home to Iran's fleet of American-made F-14 and critical to Iran’s nuclear program. This escalation happens amid Israel’s ongoing war with Gaza, raising concerns about regional violence.
But the relationship between Israel and Iran wasn't always so strained. Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the dynamics were quite different․ Initially, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Israel-Iran relationship was relatively low-profile. Things took a significant turn after the 1953 coup in Iran, when the U.S. and British-backed Iranian army-led coup overthrew the elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. The West reinstated the monarchy and the rule of pro-Western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
After the reinstatement of Shah Pahlavi, Israel and Iran began to view each other as strategic allies against common regional threats. During the Shah’s era, economic and military ties between Iran and Israel significantly improved. Iran even became a crucial oil supplier for Israel, enhancing Israel’s energy security.
During the mid-1970s, Israel and Iran had military, economic, and intelligence collaborations, and were engaged in several oil-for-arms contracts. Notably, in 1977, six such agreements were signed, including Project Flower, which aimed to aid Iran in devising a new missile system. Besides assisting with the modernization of the Iranian military, Israel sold weapons to Iran and helped train Iran's security forces. The Israeli secret service, Mossad, and the Iranian intelligence and security organization, Savak, worked closely together on various security-related projects. Additionally, there were cultural exchanges and cooperation in education and other fields between the countries. Israel also equipped Iran with agricultural knowledge and technology to modernize its farming practices. But this was before the Islamic Revolution.
The Islamic Revolution in Iran shook the world in 1979. The revolution led to the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was a close ally of the United States as well as Israel. The rise of Ayatollah Khomeini brought to power a regime that was vehemently anti-Western and anti-Israeli. Khomeini's government quickly severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel and supported anti-Israeli militant groups. Although relations between Israel and Iran worsened, they did not deteriorate immediately to their current level.
During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, Israel sold military equipment to Iran. According to some estimates arms sales to Iran from 1981 to 1983 totaled 500 million dollars. So, despite all the speeches of Iranian leaders and the denunciation of Israel at Friday prayers, there was cooperation between the two states.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War, the relative power in the Middle East shifted to Iran and Israel. This further worsened Iran-Israel relations. The conflict escalated in the early 1990s, as both governments adopted a more aggressive posture toward each other. Factors that contributed to the escalation of bilateral tensions include Iran's development of nuclear technology, Iran's funding of Islamist groups such as Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hamas, as well as alleged involvement in terrorist attacks such as the 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building in Buenos Aires. This bombing, which killed 85 people and injured over 300, and subsequent investigations suggesting links to Iran and Hezbollah. This significantly worsened relations.
According to U.S. official sources, since 2012, Iran has spent more than 20 billion dollars to support foreign terror groups in the Middle East and beyond. Iran has been accused of engaging in proxy wars against Israel, particularly through its influence in Syria. So, Iran's involvement in various regional conflicts, especially where Israel's interests were directly or indirectly affected (such as in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza), has continued to fuel hostilities between the two nations.
Israel, in turn, has supported militant groups such as Jundallah and the People's Mujahedin of Iran, which is an Iranian political-militant organization that advocates for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish a secular, democratic government. Israel also has carried out operations in Iran, including multiple assassinations and bombings. Israel’s secret service Mossad was suspected of being behind an explosion at a Revolutionary Guard missile base in November 2011. Besides, starting in 2010, a series of assassinations targeting Iranian nuclear scientists commenced, widely attributed to Mossad. These assassinations were an attempt to halt Iran's nuclear program or to cripple it following any potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Israel has reportedly conducted numerous airstrikes on Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria, aiming to prevent Iran from establishing a permanent military presence close to Israeli borders. These strikes often target arms depots, convoys, and military bases associated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards or Hezbollah. Furthermore, there have been reports and accusations of Iran engaging in cyber-attacks against Israeli infrastructure and digital networks. Conversely, Israel has also conducted cyberattacks against Iran, aiming to disrupt Iran's nuclear program. Particularly, the Stuxnet computer virus significantly damaged Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities in 2010. Such actions on both ends have contributed to a hostile relationship between Iran and Israel.
So what led to more recent events? On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a militant organization supported by Iran, launched an attack in southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,139 people and the kidnapping of at least 253 Israeli and international citizens. In response, Israel initiated an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip has resulted in over 34,000 deaths. Following this, the Iranian-backed proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon began attacking northern Israel, leading to over 4,400 violent incidents and the evacuation of over 100,000 Israelis from the area since the conflict began. On April 1, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Iranian consulate annex in Damascus, Syria, killing 16 people. Iran vowed revenge shortly after the attack. So, on April 13, Iran launched a large-scale attack, using approximately 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles. An international coalition, including the American, British, French, and Jordanian air forces, defended Israel. Israel reported that 99 percent of the drones and missiles were destroyed, mostly before entering Israeli airspace. Shortly after the Iranian attack, Israel vowed "a significant response" to Iran's actions. Israeli airstrike on April 18 targeted a major air base in Isfahan, home to Iran's fleet of American-made F-14 and critical to Iran’s nuclear program.
Leaders in both Israel and Iran may perpetuate conflicts to some extent for their political gains. For Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has navigated various political challenges and controversies, including multiple elections and legal issues, emphasizing security threats can fortify his image as a decisive leader who prioritizes national security. Iranian leaders, too, could utilize external threats to consolidate power internally and unify the populace around a common cause.
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, various high-level Israeli officials stated that Iran was one of Israel's best friends. But history has taught us that there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. Only time will show what these interests will lead to in the case of Iran and Israel.
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