Iran–Israel relations

Bilateral relations Iran–Israel relations have shifted from close ties between Israel and Iran during the era of the Pahlavi dynasty to hostility since the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . Iran has severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and its government does not recognize Israel as a country and refers to its government as the "Zionist regime". The land is referred to by Iran as "Occupied territories". Due to Iran's recent development of nuclear technology , tensions have risen between the State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran .

Diplomatic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel Bilateral relations Iran–Israel relations can be divided into four major phases: the period from 1947–53, the friendly period during the era of the Pahlavi dynasty , the worsening period from the 1979 Iranian Revolution to 1990, and finally the hostility since the end of the First Gulf War . In 1947, Iran was among 13 countries that voted against the UN Partition Plan for Palestine . Two years later, Iran also voted against Israel's admission to the United Nations . Nevertheless, Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey . After the 1953 coup d'état , which re-installed pro-Western Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power, relations between the two countries significantly improved. After the 1979 Revolution , Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and its Islamic government does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state. The turn from cold peace to hostility started in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and defeat of the Iraqi Army during Desert Storm , after which relative power in the Middle East shifted towards Iran and Israel. The conflict escalated in the early 1990s, as Yitzhak Rabin 's government adopted a more aggressive posture on Iran. Rhetorical conflict heated up during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , who made inflammatory statements against Israel . Other factors which contributed to the escalation of tensions include Iran's development of nuclear technology relative to Israel's long-stated Begin Doctrine , Iranian funding of groups like Hezbollah , Islamic Jihad and Hamas , and alleged involvement in terrorist attacks such as the 1992 attack on Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 AMIA bombing , alleged Israeli support for groups like People's Mujahedin of Iran or Jundallah and alleged covert operations in Iran including assassinations and explosions .

Bilateral relations The relations between Iran and Israel can be divided into four major phases: the ambivalent period from 1947 to 1953, the friendly period during the era of the Pahlavi dynasty from 1953 to 1979, the worsening period following the Iranian Revolution from 1979 to 1990, and the ongoing period of open hostility since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. In 1947, Iran was among 13 countries that voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for the British Mandate of Palestine . Two years later, Iran also voted against Israel's admission to the United Nations . Nevertheless, Iran was the second Muslim -majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey . After the 1953 coup d'état , which reinstalled the pro- Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the Shah of Iran , relations between the two countries significantly improved. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, and its theocratic government does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state. The turn from cold peace to open hostility began in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War, after which relative power in the Middle East shifted towards Iran and Israel. The conflict escalated in the early 1990s, as Yitzhak Rabin 's government adopted a more aggressive posture on Iran. Rhetorical conflict heated up during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad , who made inflammatory statements against Israel . Other factors that have contributed to the escalation of bilateral tensions include Iran's development of nuclear technology relative to Israel's long-stated Begin Doctrine , 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 Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 AMIA bombing , and Israel's alleged support for militant groups such as the People's Mujahedin of Iran and Jundallah as well as alleged covert Israeli operations in Iran including multiple assassinations and bombings . Since 1985, Iran and Israel have been engaged in an ongoing proxy conflict that has greatly affected the geopolitics of the Middle East , and has included direct military confrontations between Iranian and Israeli organizations, such as in the 2006 Lebanon War . The conflict has played out in various ways, including through support for opposing factions in conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Iran has provided support to the Syrian government, while Israel has supported opposition groups. In Yemen, Iran has provided support to the Houthi rebels, while Israel has provided support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels. The conflict has also involved cyber attacks and sabotage against each other's infrastructure, including attacks on nuclear facilities and oil tankers. Overall, the Iran-Israel proxy conflict is a complex and ongoing conflict that has had a significant impact on the political and security dynamics of the Middle East.

Bilateral relations Iran and Israel have had no diplomatic relations since 1979, and modern relations are hostile. The relationship was cordial for most of the Cold War , but worsened following the Iranian Revolution and has been openly hostile since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. Iran's current government does not recognize Israel's legitimacy as a state and has called for its destruction; it views Palestine as the sole legitimate government of the historic Palestinian territories . Israel considers Iran a threat to the Middle East 's stability and has targeted Iranian assets in assassinations and airstrikes. In 2025, the hostility escalated to an armed conflict . In 1947, Iran was among 13 countries that voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for the British Mandate of Palestine . Two years later, Iran also voted against Israel's admission to the United Nations . However, Iran was the second Muslim -majority country to recognize Israel as a sovereign state after Turkey . After the 1953 coup d'état , which reinstalled the pro- Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the shah of Iran , relations between the two countries significantly improved. After the Iranian revolution—in which Pahlavi was ousted and Iran's secular monarchy was replaced by an anti-Western Islamic republic —Iran severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, although relations continued covertly during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988). Since 1985, Iran and Israel have been engaged in a proxy conflict that has greatly affected the geopolitics of the Middle East. The turn from cold peace to open hostility began in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the defeat of Iraq in the Gulf War. Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin 's government adopted a more aggressive posture on Iran, and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made inflammatory statements against Israel . Other factors contributing to the escalation of tensions include the Iranian nuclear program , Iran's funding of Islamist groups such as Hezbollah , Palestinian Islamic Jihad , Hamas , and the Houthis , and Iran's involvement in attacks such as the 1992 Buenos Aires Israeli embassy bombing and the 1994 AMIA bombing , as well as Israeli threats of military action . Iranian and Israeli organizations have been involved in direct military confrontations, such as in the 2006 Lebanon War . Iran and Israel have provided support for opposing factions in the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars and conducted cyberattacks and sabotage against each other's infrastructure, including attacks on nuclear facilities and oil tankers. Iran's proxy conflict with Saudi Arabia has led to an informal alliance between Israel and Arab states . In 2024, amid increasing regional tensions stemming from the Gaza war , Iran–Israel tensions escalated to a period of direct conflict ; both carried out missile strikes on the other and Israel assassinated targets in Iran and Syria. In 2025, Israel carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets, sparking a war between the countries .