Once close friends, Iran and Israel have now become the worst enemies of each other due to the profound changes that have taken place over time. Various historical, political, and theological factors can explain this evolving connection.
Iran and Israel, now bitter rivals, once had a strong relationship. Understanding their past is key to grasping how their ties deteriorated over time.
Before 1948, the area now known as Israel was part of Palestine under Ottoman rule. In 1947, the UN proposed a partition to create Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accepted, but Arab leaders rejected the plan. Iran opposed it and voted against Israel’s UN membership in 1949, yet officially recognized Israel in 1950, shortly after Turkey.
The 1953 coup led to the return of the Shah’s rule to Iran. This marked a turning point in Iran-Israel relations. Iran’s oil was vital for Israel’s industrial and military needs, while Israel’s enemy Arab countries had imposed an oil embargo.
Iranian Revolution of 1979: Rift in relations
Everything changed in 1979 when the Islamic Revolution occurred in Iran. Following the overthrow of the Shah’s pro-Western regime by the revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran became an Islamic republic. After this revolution, Iran saw a dramatic change in its views on Israel. Iran broke off all diplomatic and business relations with Israel and started supporting Palestinian organizations like Hezbollah that were fighting Israel.
Since the end of the Gulf War in 1991, Iran and Israel have been at odds openly. The area became even more divided once the US emerged as the lone superpower and the Soviet Union collapsed. At the same time, Israel and Iran were pitted against one another in nearly all significant geopolitical discussions. Israel and Iran have initiated verbal sarcasm and proxy warfare against one another.
Iran fired more than 180 missiles on Israel
After the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Iran has fired more than 180 missiles at Israel. After this, the tension has increased a lot. Israel has warned Iran to face consequences for this attack. At the same time, the G7 countries have held an emergency meeting. In this, America has talked about increasing sanctions on Iran.
