Changing from Allies to Adversaries: The Evolving Relationship of Israel and Iran

The rapidly shifting nature of the relationship between Israel and Iran stood at its core as an epitome of a long, painful development from the closest of allies to sworn enemies in a hostile standoff seemingly on the brink of all-out war. In this dramatic turn of history, however, both countries were once allies who fought against common enemies and enjoyed close diplomatic and military relations. To understand how such a relationship turned sour in the enmity that exists today, we need to trace the arc of their convoluted history.

Early Years: Friendship on Fragile Grounds (1947-1953)
At the time of Israel’s birth in 1948, Iran was one of the few Muslim-majority states which had not yet assumed the new Jewish state at that time. In fact, Iran was a UN member and voted against the UN Partition Plan of 1947, which resolved to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Iran again did the same in 1949 when Israel requested membership into the UN.

Despite this the public resistance, Iran’s policy towards Israel changes rapidly just few months after. In 1950, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s government made Iran the second Muslim-majority country to officially recognize Israel, following Turkey. The move marked the opening salvo in a relationship that was primarily backroom, and generally lacked ideological compatibility but strategic interest congruence.

Shah’s Regime: Brothers in the same boat (1953-1979)
Indeed, the connection of Iran and Israel became much closer following the CIA-backed coup that brought back the Shah into power in 1953. Also a country loaded with oil and also the most prominent Jewish population West Asia could boast of, Iran felt a natural affinity towards Israel that continued to grow even deeper since both of them concerned themselves with the rising Arab nationalism, particularly those from Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Ba’athist regime of Iraq.

The Shah regime in Iran admired Israel as an element that could assist them in excluding the influence of communist policy from the Soviet Union in the Middle East. Meanwhile, for its part, Israel relied on Iranian oil for its industrial and military needs since Arab countries placed an embargo on supplying Israel with energy resources. The two countries were to undertake vital joint ventures, including the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company, which would allow Iranian oil to circumvent the Suez Canal to arrive at Israel.

Bilateral Military and Intelligence Cooperation
Military cooperation was one of the most notable aspects of the Israel-Iran alliance. Iran purchased sophisticated weaponry and technology from Israel to bolster its armed forces, particularly during its own war against Iraq in the 1980s. Another interesting aspect is that both countries cooperated in a project code-named “Flower,” which was aimed at developing missile systems. Additionally, the Israelis were instrumental in establishing the secret police force of Iran, called SAVAK; the force was trained not only by the Israelis’ intelligence agency Mossad but also by the CIA.

The Pahlavi regime successfully branded Iran as having an glorious pre-Islamic past, and then highlighted how this civilization was unlike anything from the Arab world. This vision let the Iranian regime, therefore, explain its alliance with Israel as merely prudential, strategic reason rather than an ideological identification with Zionism.

The Downfall: Iranian Revolution and the End of the Deal (1979-1990)
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 brought a seismic shift to the foreign policy of this nation. With the fall of the Shah and the establishment of the Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s cooperation with Israel would end forever as the stage was set for decades of hostility. The new regime saw Israel as an illegitimate occupant of Palestinian land and a symbol of Western imperialism in the region.

Yet, years after the revolution, Israel and Iran found themselves in a brief informal alliance during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). Iraq, an enemy to Israel for decades, was now, for the sake of time, a common enemy. Israel reportedly sold millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and military supplies to Iran, hoping that such support would bring an end to the Saddam Hussein regime. These secret relations did not last long either.

Open Enmity: From Partners to Enemies (1991 Onwards)
By the 1990s, relations between Iran and Israel had degraded to levels of outright hostility. The dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as the one superpower in the world also made Iran want to play the role of the super power in the Middle East; hence it was at odds with Israel. Iran started supporting pro-Iran anti-Israel movements, most importantly Hezbollah in Lebanon, which thrived on resistance to the existence of Israel in the same region.

First and foremost, Iran’s nuclear program, which began in the 1980s, has been a defining source of tension. From the perspective of Israel, the U.S., and other Western countries, Iran’s drive to acquire nuclear technology directly puts into jeopardy the security of the region and the rest of the world. The fears of Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been addressed through years of diplomatic sparring, covert operations, and public saber-rattling.

Proxy Wars and Escalating the Rhetoric
As a result of this increasingly likely possibility of direct conflict, Iran and Israel engaged in a series of proxy battles throughout the Middle East. The Syrian Civil War also became another prime battleground, in which Iran came to support the Assad regime while Israel was conducting airstrikes against Iranian targets within Syria. Iran further escalated its support for Hezbollah and Hamas groups, which often clashed with Israeli forces.

Tensions have worsened in the past few years with Iranian missile attacks and Israeli retaliatory attacks bringing the two ever closer to direct conflict. Just this week, a spate of Iranian missiles was launched at Israel, bringing the two nations to the point of war.

Conclusion: A Relationship Gone Sour
The relationship between Israel and Iran was one of strategic allies that turned bitter enemies. There are myriad reasons that mirror this sharp shift and are interlinked with the region’s complex political landscape, the evolution of different ideologies and changes in alliances. The increasing rivalry between the two suggests that the days when Iran and Israel used to collaborate over common enemies are history and are being replaced by an era of hostility that seems never to be coming to an end.

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