Iran and Israel have been involved in a proxy conflict since 1985. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran supported Lebanese Shia groups, especially Hezbollah. In the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Iran backed Palestinian groups like Hamas. Israel supported Iranian rebels, carried out airstrikes against Iranian allies in Syria, killed Iranian nuclear scientists, and directly attacked Iranian forces in Syria. In 2024, the proxy war led to direct confrontations between the two countries. In June 2025, they fought a 12-day war involving the United States.
Motivated by the periphery doctrine, Imperial Iran and Israel had close relations, viewing Arab powers as a shared threat. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran ended formal relations but kept secret connections during the Iran–Iraq War. Iran trained and armed Hezbollah to resist Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon and continued to support Shia militias during Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon. Before 1979, Iranian Islamists provided resources to Palestinians. After 1979, Iran tried to build ties with the Palestine Liberation Organization, later with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Israel fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel has also fought wars with Palestinians in and around Gaza in 2008–2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, and since 2023. The 1982 Lebanon War and the Gaza war were the deadliest conflicts in the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Many reasons have been suggested for the Iran–Israel conflict. Iran and Israel once had friendly relations due to shared threats, but by the 1990s, the USSR had collapsed and Iraq had weakened. Iranian Islamists have long supported the Palestinian people, whom they see as oppressed. Scholars believe Iran aims to gain acceptance among Sunnis and Arabs, who dominate the Middle East. At times, Iran supported both the one-state and two-state solutions to address Palestinian struggles, while also using strong language to predict Israel’s downfall. Israel views Iran as an existential threat. Israel has accused Iran of wanting to commit genocide, while Iran has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Because of this, Israel has pushed for sanctions and military action to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. News outlets reported that Iranian proxy militias remained quiet during the 2025 war with Israel, leaving Iran isolated in the conflict.
Background
Iranian Islamists have long supported the Palestinian people. In 1949, an Iranian religious leader named Mahmoud Taleghani visited the West Bank and was deeply affected by the suffering of Palestinian refugees. He began speaking out for Palestinians in the 1950s and 1960s. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Taleghani collected money, such as zakat (a type of religious donation), in Iran to send to Palestinians. The Iranian government at the time was concerned about these efforts, and government records show that officials believed many Iranians supported the Palestinian cause. Similarly, Ruhollah Khomeini, who later became Iran’s Supreme Leader in 1979, supported Palestinians before this role. He also criticized the Pahlavi dynasty’s relationship with Israel, seeing Israel as a supporter of the Pahlavi government. After the 1979 Iranian revolution, Khomeini’s government declared hostility toward Israel. The new government called Israel a "colonial outpost" and stopped recognizing Israel as a country. It also ended all diplomatic, business, and other ties with Israel, referring to Israel’s government as the "Zionist regime" and Israel itself as "occupied Palestine."
Despite tensions between the two countries, Israel helped Iran during the Iran–Iraq War from 1980 to 1988. Israel was a major supplier of military equipment to Iran and also sent military instructors. Israel directly supported Iran’s war effort by bombing and destroying Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in Operation Babylon. This reactor was a key part of Iraq’s nuclear weapons program.
The 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon caused the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to leave Lebanon. This led to an Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon, which temporarily reduced violent attacks on Northern Israel by Hezbollah compared to attacks by the PLO in the 1970s. However, the Sabra and Shatila massacre, carried out by Israeli-backed groups, led to the rise of a local Lebanese resistance movement in South Lebanon. By the 1990s, this movement became a greater challenge for Israel than the PLO had been in the 1970s.
Iran has sometimes called for the destruction of Israel. Iran has built a network of allies and groups in the Middle East, which it calls the "axis of resistance," to oppose U.S. and Israeli interests. Israel sees Iran as a major threat because of Iran’s strong words, its support for groups in the region, and its funding of Palestinian groups like Hamas. In some cases, these groups became political parties, a process encouraged by Iran. These groups gained political power while hiding their involvement in violent actions. U.S. intelligence officials believe Iran does not want a large war and that its allies aim to target Israel and the U.S. without causing a big conflict. The United States is Israel’s largest military supporter. Germany, Britain, and Italy have also sent weapons to Israel.
According to the Stimson Center, Iran has historically supported at least four groups: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiʿite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. The goal is to force Israel to fight on many fronts at once, making it harder for Israel to focus on Iran’s nuclear or military plans and to pressure Israel indirectly.
History
Starting in the 1960s, many Iranians (both leftist and religious) volunteered to fight against Israel with groups like the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Some of these volunteers, who trained in Lebanon and Jordan, returned to Iran to fight against the Shah.
In 1979, Yasser Arafat visited Iran, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the country after the Islamic Revolution. During his visit, Iran ended its relationship with Israel and sent Israeli diplomats away. The PLO saw Iran’s revolution as an example of how a group could defeat a strong enemy supported by the United States, something the PLO hoped to do against Israel. At the same time, Palestinians believed Arab nationalism was not working well. Arab forces lost a war in 1967, Jordan forced the PLO out in 1970, and Egypt made peace with Israel in 1978.
During the Iran hostage crisis, the PLO tried to help Iranian students but failed. Secret papers were also found in the U.S. embassy, which showed Israel had supported the Shah’s government.
At the start of the Iran–Iraq War in 1980, Arafat tried to stop the fighting between Saddam Hussein and Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. He worried the war would take attention away from the Palestinian cause. Arafat visited Baghdad and Tehran but could not stop the war. Later, he supported Iraq, but Iran still supported the Palestinian cause.
After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran stopped all official ties with Israel. Iran no longer accepted Israeli passports, and Iranian passport holders could not visit “occupied Palestine.” The Israeli Embassy in Tehran was closed and given to the PLO. Khomeini called Israel an “enemy of Islam” and the “Little Satan.” He also called the United States the “Great Satan” and the Soviet Union the “Lesser Satan.” Iran helped create and support Hezbollah, a group in Lebanon, by providing training, weapons, and ideas to attack Israel and the United States.
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. Shia Muslim leaders in Lebanon asked Iran for help. Khomeini sent military leaders to Syria but later decided Iran could not fight two wars at once because of its war with Iraq.
Although Israel removed PLO bases and left Lebanon in 1985, the invasion made conflicts with local groups worse. This led to stronger groups like Hezbollah and Amal forming in southern Lebanon. Over time, both sides used more advanced weapons, and Hezbollah improved its fighting methods.
Iran gave Hezbollah large amounts of help, including training, weapons, money, and support to attack Israel. In 1985, Hezbollah said one of its goals was to make Israel leave Lebanon completely. By the early 1990s, Hezbollah became the strongest group in southern Lebanon with help from Syria and Iran.
After Israel left southern Lebanon in 2000, fighting continued in the Shabaa Farms area.
When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardline leader in Iran, was elected in 2005, Iran and Israel became more hostile. They fought indirectly through other groups and secret actions.
During the 2006 Lebanon War, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards helped Hezbollah attack Israel. Reports said hundreds of guards helped fire rockets at Israel and managed Hezbollah’s long-range missiles. Some guards were killed by Israel, and their bodies were sent to Syria and then to Iran. In 2007, Israel destroyed a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria, killing ten North Koreans.
During and after the Gaza War, Israel attacked Iranian weapons being sent to Hamas through Sudan. Israel claimed it was behind the attacks. Two convoys were destroyed, and a ship carrying weapons sank in the Red Sea.
In 2009, Israel captured a ship in the Mediterranean with weapons bound for Hezbollah from Iran.
In 2010, a computer virus called Stuxnet was found. It was believed to have been made by the United States and Israel to harm Iran’s nuclear program. It may have damaged 1,000 of Iran’s nuclear machines. Other viruses, like Duqu and Flame, were also linked to Stuxnet. Iran said its enemies tried to sabotage its nuclear program through faulty equipment and viruses.
In 2011, Israel seized a ship carrying Iranian weapons to Gaza. Israel was also suspected of causing an explosion at Iran’s nuclear facility in Isfahan. Iran denied the explosion, but satellite images showed damage. Hezbollah later fired rockets at Israel, and Israel responded with artillery fire. The attack killed 7 people and injured 12.
In 2011, Israel was suspected of causing an explosion at an Iranian missile base, killing 17 people, including a key missile expert. Israeli journalist Ron Ben-Yishai said other Iranian experts may have been killed in earlier explosions.
In response to Israel’s secret actions, Iran’s agents reportedly tried to attack Israeli targets. Israeli security officials warned that potential targets were on high alert.
Iranian supporters and alleged proxies
Iran and Syria, led by the Ba'athist government, were important partners. Iran helped the Syrian government during the Syrian Civil War by providing supplies, training, and financial support. Iran believed keeping the Syrian government in power was important for its own goals in the region. However, the Syrian government fell after a rebel attack in December 2024. Iran claimed the loss was not as serious as it seemed, but a military leader admitted Iran had suffered a major defeat. In 2011, Iran’s top leader, Ali Khamenei, supported the Syrian government. As the war began, Iran sent more military help, including training for Syrian defense forces in Syria and Iran.
Iran’s security groups worked with Syria to help the Assad government stay in power. This included training, technical help, and sending soldiers. By 2013, as many as 10,000 Iranian soldiers had fought in Syria. In 2018, Iran reported that 2,100 of its soldiers had died in Syria and Iraq over seven years. Iran also helped Shia groups from other countries, like Hezbollah from Lebanon, fight in Syria. These groups included Hezbollah, Afghan Liwa Fatemiyoun, Pakistani Liwa Zainebiyoun, and others.
Hezbollah was created as a group with both political and social goals to gain support. It provided free or low-cost medical care, education, and cultural programs for poor Shia people in Lebanon. Over time, Hezbollah grew into a powerful group with seats in the Lebanese government, a radio station, and a television channel. It also has a large military force. Hezbollah is part of a political group in Lebanon called the March 8 Alliance. It has strong support from Shia people in Lebanon but faces opposition from Sunni groups. After Israel left South Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah’s military power increased, and its fighters are now considered stronger than the Lebanese Army. Iran has supported Hezbollah since its creation in 1982. Hezbollah received weapons, training, and money from Iran and political help from Syria. It also fought Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War.
Hezbollah played a major role in the Syrian Civil War by helping the Assad government stay in power. It sent thousands of fighters to Syria, and by 2015, it had lost about 1,500 soldiers. Hezbollah also worked to stop rebels from moving from Syria into Lebanon. By March 2019, 1,677 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in Syria. A leader from a research group in London said Iran’s support helped Hezbollah become the most powerful political and military group in Lebanon.
Iran has supported Hamas since the 1990s. During the second intifada, Iran’s military groups and Hezbollah worked closely with Hamas. Iran was a major source of money and weapons for Hamas between 2005 and 2011. Hamas received training in Iran and Syria before the Syrian Civil War. In 2011, Hamas stopped supporting the Syrian government, and many members left Syria. In 2014, a Hamas leader thanked Iran for financial and military help.
In 2008, Iran and Sudan signed a military agreement. The agreement was signed by Iran’s defense minister and Sudan’s defense minister. However, in 2011, Sudan reduced its cooperation with Iran after the Syrian Civil War began. In 2015, Sudan ended all ties with Iran by joining a Saudi-led military action in Yemen.
Iran supports the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (PIJ). After Israel and Egypt limited Hamas’s power in 2014, PIJ gained strength with help from Iran and Syria.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq allowed Iran to increase its influence in the region. Iran helped create militias like Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba in Iraq.
Iran has sent weapons to the Houthi group in Yemen, known as Ansar Allah. The Houthi control of the port city of Hudaydah and the capital Sanaa helped Iran send weapons to Yemen. In 2012, Iran’s military group, the IRGC, started smuggling weapons to Yemen using planes and ships.
Israeli supporters and alleged proxies
Israel's closest military ally, the United States, has a long history of actions against Iran. In August 1953, the U.S. and U.K. used secret agents to overthrow the government of Iran led by Mossadegh. For many years, the U.S. supported the Shah of Iran, an authoritarian leader. After Iraq attacked Iran, the U.S. helped Iraq for decades. In 1988, the U.S. launched Operation Praying Mantis, the largest American naval battle since World War II. The U.S. has military bases located near Iran.
On 22 June 2025, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the Twelve-Day War.
Iran is the world's main country led by Shia Muslims, while Saudi Arabia is a leading country led by Sunni Muslims. Since 1979, a conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been a major issue in Western Asia. This conflict, called a proxy war, involves competition for political, economic, and religious influence. The U.S. supports Saudi Arabia and its allies, while Russia and China support Iran and its allies. This situation has been compared to the Cold War, and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called it the "New Cold War." Today, the rivalry is mainly about politics and economics, and religious differences are used by both countries to gain an advantage.
Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations. However, news reports suggest that both countries work together secretly on diplomatic and intelligence matters to oppose Iran.
The Gaza war affected diplomatic efforts. Some people believed Iran tried to harm relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. A former official from Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency said Iran might have timed an attack to stop efforts to improve relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. On 9 October, an Iranian official denied Iran's involvement in an attack by Hamas. On 12 October, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Iran's president about the Israel-Gaza situation. On 13 October, Saudi Arabia criticized Israel for displacing Palestinians and attacking civilians. On 14 October, Saudi Arabia stopped talks about normalizing relations with Israel.
After tensions increased between Israel and Iran, the Kurdistan Freedom Party said it supported Israel's attacks on Iran and called for an uprising. Other groups that oppose the Iranian government have also been linked to events related to Israel's conflict with Iran. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran has been reported in some media and intelligence accounts to have connections to Israeli intelligence operations targeting Iranian nuclear scientists, including claims of training, funding, and support for these operations.
Notable wars and violent events
In 2010, a series of assassinations targeting Iranian nuclear scientists began. Many people believed Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, was responsible for these attacks. Iran and global media sources noted that the methods used to kill the scientists were similar to those used by Mossad in past operations. These assassinations were said to be an attempt to stop Iran's nuclear program or prevent it from recovering after an attack on its nuclear facilities. On January 12, 2010, particle physicist Masoud Alimohammadi was killed when a booby-trapped motorcycle near his car exploded. On October 12, 2010, an explosion at an IRGC military base near Khorramabad killed 18 soldiers. On November 29, 2010, two senior Iranian nuclear scientists, Majid Shahriari and Fereydoon Abbasi, were attacked by hitmen on motorcycles. Bombs attached to their cars were detonated from a distance, killing Shahriari and seriously injuring Abbasi. On July 23, 2011, Darioush Rezaeinejad was shot in eastern Tehran. On January 11, 2012, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan and his driver were killed by a bomb attached to their car from a motorcycle.
Iran accused Israel and the United States of carrying out the assassinations. Iranian officials also blamed British intelligence agencies. Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's intelligence minister, suggested the attacker might have been a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In 2014, NBC reported that two U.S. officials said the MEK had received financial and military support from Israel for assassinating scientists, though a senior State Department official later denied this claim. In early 2011, Majid Jamali Fashi confessed to killing Masoud Alimohammadi on Iranian state television, stating he trained at a Mossad facility near Tel Aviv. Fashi was executed in May 2012. That month, Iran announced the arrest of 14 Iranians—eight men and six women—who were described as an Israeli-trained terror cell responsible for five attacks on scientists. Iran's IRTV Channel 1 broadcast a documentary titled Terror Club, which included confessions from suspects involved in the killings of several scientists and an attempted attack on Abbasi.
In 2024, the conflict between Iran and Israel escalated into direct confrontations. On April 1, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran and its allies seized the Israeli-linked ship MSC Aries and launched attacks inside Israel on April 13. Israel retaliated with strikes in Iran and Syria on April 19. These strikes were limited, and analysts suggested Israel aimed to reduce tensions. Iran did not respond, and tensions returned to proxy warfare.
On June 13, 2025, the conflict expanded into an armed conflict between Iran and the Houthis against Israel and the United States. Israel launched a surprise attack targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The war began with assassinations and attempts to assassinate Iran's top military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians, including Ali Shamkhani, who was overseeing nuclear talks with the United States. Airstrikes damaged nuclear and military facilities, and Iran's air defenses were destroyed. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israeli military sites and cities. The United States, which had been defending Israel by intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, launched offensive strikes on June 22, 2025, targeting three Iranian nuclear sites. In response, the Houthis in Yemen claimed the U.S. strikes were a "declaration of war" and fired missiles at Israel. News outlets like The New York Times and France24 reported that Iranian proxy militias did not actively support Iran during the 2025 war, leaving Iran isolated.
Following Israel's military actions during the Twelve-Day War, which killed key Iranian military figures, including senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran has continued to support allied groups in the Middle East. The U.S. Central Command reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard has supplied weapons, including drones and missiles, to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq. In Yemen, U.S. authorities intercepted a ship carrying 750 tons of Iranian weapons, including drone engines and radar systems, allegedly for the Houthis. In Iraq, the Kurdish Regional Government accused Iranian-backed militias of attacking oil infrastructure, including facilities operated by U.S. companies. In Syria, the Syrian Interior Ministry reported intercepting weapons shipments bound for Hezbollah, including anti-tank missiles hidden in commercial trucks. These events have occurred as nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States remain stalled.
On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States launched a surprise attack targeting key Iranian military personnel. In response, Iran attacked multiple military bases.
International responses
Russian foreign policy in the Middle East became more active in the early 2000s because of the conflict between Iran and Israel. After 2001, the government led by Vladimir Putin increased Russia's involvement in the region. Russia supported Iran's nuclear programs and canceled 73% of Syria's $13 billion debt. According to a March 2007 report titled Russia's New Middle Eastern Policy: Back to Bismarck? by Ariel Cohen (Institute for Contemporary Affairs), Syria supplied weapons to Hezbollah. In 2006, Israeli forces discovered Russian-made Kornet-E and Metis-M anti-tank systems in Hezbollah's possession in southern Lebanon. Russia responded to accusations of supplying weapons to terrorist groups by announcing in February 2007 that its military would inspect Syrian weapons storage facilities to prevent weapons from being used by unintended groups. These actions worsened the already poor relationship between Russia and Israel. For years, Russia has tried to build military partnerships with both Israel and Syria. However, cooperation with one country often decreases cooperation with the other. Russia and Syria had strong military ties during the Soviet era, but these ties nearly stopped until 2005. Now, Russia is trying to balance its relationships with both Israel and Syria. However, Russia's recent focus on Eastern partnerships may suggest a new phase of military cooperation with Syria, even if it harms its relationship with Israel.
Israel–Russia relations improved after Russia's military action in Syria in September 2015. From then until July 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Putin met nine times. Before and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Israel encouraged the United States to make a deal with Russia. The deal would involve limiting Iran's military presence in Syria in exchange for lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia.
In 2019, Russia refused Iran's request to purchase the S-400 missile defense system. Ruslan Pukhov, head of the Center of Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow, stated: "If Russia provides Iran with the S-400, it would directly challenge Saudi Arabia and Israel, which would harm Russia's own interests."