From strategic allies to open war: the shifting tides of Iran–Israel relations
In short: Once close partners in a strategic alliance, Iran and Israel have transitioned from a period of brisk trade and cooperation to a state of direct military conflict. This evolution from the mid-20th century to the escalating hostilities of the 2020s has fundamentally reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East.
The relationship between Iran and Israel has undergone a radical transformation. Following the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, which consolidated the power of the pro-Western King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, relations improved significantly. During this era, Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel's sovereignty, following Turkey. The two nations maintained close ties, including Israeli construction projects in Iran and the operation of El Al flights between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Israel even viewed Iran as a natural ally under David Ben Gurion's 'alliance of the periphery' concept.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution marked a definitive break. The government of Ruhollah Khomeini severed all ties with Israel, transferring the Israeli Embassy in Tehran to the Palestine Liberation Organization. This shift moved the relationship from one of cooperation—including joint military projects like the missile development program 'Project Flower' between 1977 and 1979—to one of intense hostility. Since the mid-1980s, a proxy conflict has dominated Middle Eastern politics, fueled by Iran's support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
In recent years, the tension has escalated from proxy warfare and cyberattacks to direct military confrontation. Following the Gaza war, tensions rose in 2024, leading to missile strikes by both nations. The conflict intensified in 2025 with a 12-day war sparked by Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets. A collaborative US-Israeli air assault on Iran intensified by 2026, resulting in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's death on 28 February 2026.
For more than 2,700 years, Jewish populations have inhabited the lands of present-day Iran, tracing back to antiquity. This lineage began during the initial Jewish diaspora, following Shalmaneser V's conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. While the biblical Book of Ezra credits Cyrus the Great with allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem, some scholars, such as Professor Lester L. Grabbe, argue the return was a gradual 'trickle' rather than a single mass event.
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- Also: Wikidata — Iran–Israel relations · CC0
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