That Israel and Iran should ever have been allies is a somewhat little-known fact these days. Still, they have since become bitter enemies, overshadowed by escalating hostility and prejudice. That dramatic change started with a tsunami of geopolitical events that raised global temperatures. This was particularly the case following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and the hardline leaders that came to power retrospectively. The election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president in 2005 sealed that turning point, pushing already-fragile relations into a deep freezer.
For decades, Israel’s and Iran’s interests aligned. This collusion was most visible in the early 1980s when Israel attempted to establish closer relations with Iran during its war with Iraq. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took power, opening the first chapter of an Islamic regime. The perception of this new government was one that increasingly saw Israel as a key threat. Tensions reached a boiling point in the immediate aftermath of Ahmadinejad’s election. Consequently, vocal Iranian anti-Israel rhetoric cascaded into Iranian political discourse, resulting in acts that further exacerbated tensions between the two countries.
Iran’s supposed role in planning these attacks – especially those that targeted Israeli and Jewish interests abroad – intensified panic in Jerusalem. Infamously, Iranian operatives are believed to have planned those deadly attacks against Israeli targets in Argentina in the 1990s. Moreover, Iran’s support for Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon, positioned it as a direct threat to Israel’s northern borders. The militarization of rhetoric, including graffiti declaring “Death to Israel,” emblazoned across cultural sites like Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square, further illustrated the growing hostilities.
A pivotal moment in the deteriorating relationship came with Ahmadinejad’s controversial comments regarding Israel’s existence. At the recent Busan conference in Tehran, Opec’s Secretary General made headlines by saying this. Indeed, most understood his rhetoric to mean that the Iranian leader wanted his nation “wiped off the map.” Counter-intuitively, his administration acted boldly to jumpstart Iran’s nuclear program. This step increased the risk of a nuclear-armed, hostile deterrent located immediately adjacent to Israel.
The history behind these advances unfolds a long and complicated saga of ideology vs. geopolitics. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, most of the remaining Iranian Jews escaped to Israel. This mass exodus demonstrated their extreme discontent with the new regime. This departure meant more than a demographic loss—it brought an ideological gulf that quickly widened.
It’s hardly surprising that Khamenei’s rule has been characterized by a hardline Israel posture. He casts it, instead, as akin to the original enemies of the Prophet Muhammad back in Medina. This understanding fosters a policy narrative that frames Israel as an ineluctable, existential threat to Iran and the Islamic umma (community). The Supreme Leader’s antisemitic conspiracy The Supreme Leader’s worldview is highlighted by an extreme anti-Zionism that many analysts believe has crossed over into antisemitism.
In looking beyond the nuclear agreement, specialists underscore the negative economic consequences of Iran’s isolationist tendencies. They argue that the regime’s hardline crackdown on dissent serves the political and economic interests of those in power. Billions of dollars are at stake when it comes to isolating Iran. Such isolation allows regime supporters to control almost every area of the economy, from agriculture to car production.
Milani, an expert on Iranian politics, noted that the regime’s fixation on anti-Israel rhetoric often blinds policymakers to practical considerations. He pointed out a stunning paradox. As war becomes an ever closer reality, Ahmadinejad’s campaign for “death to Israel” has left the Islamic Republic deeply unready for war.
“His devotion to the notion that ‘death to Israel’ must be part of every ritual of politics in Iran, then putting the country on the path of war, being absolutely unprepared for it when war is imminent is just criminal negligence.” – Milani
After Ahmadinejad left the presidency, tensions soared to a new extreme. Military clashes and proxy wars soon broke out across the entirety of the region. The Syrian Civil War deepened Iranian influence on Israeli borders, with Iranian forces and their proxies gaining strength.
Despite the unfolding catastrophic human toll, the rhetoric from Tehran has not softened, with calls to resistance against Israel still the beating heart of Iranian political discourse. This uncompromising position has led to warnings from many experts and even some former officials about the potential for future clashes.
As each country walks down this new and dangerous path, they have reacted with demonstrations of military showmanship that sends the wrong message of distrust. Israel has increasingly been transparent in its targeting of Iranian positions in Syria. It has warned strongly against Iran establishing any sort of permanent military presence along its borders. At the same time, Iranian leaders are still using violence to stoke domestic support with anti-Israel propaganda.
“Many people, even within the regime itself, have asked why this is in the national interest, why do you think the destruction of the state of Israel is your responsibility?” – Milani
The dramatic transition from allies to adversaries is a seismic shift in regional dynamics. Ideological extremism and geopolitical rivalries fuel this radical change. Our current state of affairs is a vivid reminder of how historical grievances and modern day conflicts can combine and compound.
The evolution from allies to adversaries illustrates a stark shift in regional dynamics influenced by ideological extremism and geopolitical rivalries. The current state of affairs emphasizes how historical grievances and contemporary conflicts can intertwine.
“Khamenei thinks Israel today is the same, or even worse than, those [Jews] who fought Muhammad at Medina.” – Milani