*Ahmad Reza Taheri
Before delving into the reasons behind the elusive peace between Iran and Israel, it is crucial to outline the factors that have fostered animosity between the two states. Four major factors have contributed to Iran’s hostility towards Israel, which are discussed as follows.
First, during the era of the second Pahlavi regime, Iran maintained strong ties with both Israel and the United States. However, Shia clerics perceived the Pahlavi monarch as a puppet of the US and an ally of Israel. Consequently, when the revolutionaries led by Ayatollah Khomeini successfully consolidated political power and established the Islamic Republic, they officially adopted an opposition stance towards Israel. From that point onward, one of the primary objectives of the Iranian Revolution became the promotion of anti-Zionist ideology and the severing of diplomatic ties with Israel and its principal ally, the United States. The Islamic revolutionaries effectively instilled their anti-Zionist ideology in the Iranian populace, significantly influencing the beliefs of subsequent generations.
Second, the leaders of the Islamic Revolution harbor a profound distrust of the US and Israel, viewing Israel as an extension of US influence in the Middle East. This deep-seated distrust has been a significant barrier to the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and the US since the 1979 Iranian revolution. In this regard, several contemporary examples support the Iran’s argument. For example, some former US allies have either lost American support or have been overthrown by the US forces. Notable instances include Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran (1979), Saddam Hussein in Iraq (2003), Muammar Gaddafi in Libya (2011), and Ashraf Ghani in Afghanistan (2021). In this context, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has frequently urged Islamic nations to remain vigilant against the US and Israel while fostering unity among themselves. He believes that without solidarity, the US will systematically turn against each Islamic state, one by one.[1]
Third, Israel’s ongoing suppression of the Palestinian people and its reluctance to pursue a resolution has intensified anti-Israeli sentiments globally. Iran claims to advocate for the rights of Palestinians in this context.
Fourth, Iran’s revolutionary leaders perceive the US and Israel as collaborating to undermine the Islamic Republic.
Consequently, Iran feels compelled to defend its sovereignty by supporting regional proxy groups that oppose both the US and Israel. By confronting its adversaries beyond its borders, Iran aims to curb US and Israeli influence and protect its sovereignty. In response, Israel has challenged Iran’s position; it is actively identifying both potential and actual threats to its security with the goal of neutralizing them. This includes targeting leaders of groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, which Israel views as proxies for Iran. Israel is committed to dismantling any organizations that have connections to or receive support from Iran. This aggressive strategy has led to violations of Iran’s sovereignty, as Israel has conducted operations targeting individuals and locations within Iran. Consequently, tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated, resulting in Iran’s attacks on Israel on two separate occasions.
Given the historical enmity between Iran and Israel since the 1979 Islamic revolution and Iran’s threats to “remove Israel from the map of the world,”[2] Israel has framed Iran as an existential threat. This narrative has enabled Israel to garner support from Western powers.
Iran asserts that it has not violated the sovereignty of other states and does not tolerate such violations against its own sovereignty. In fact, Israel has conducted several targeted assassinations within Iran over the past 14 years.[3] Despite these actions, Iran has generally exercised restraint in its responses. However, as the saying goes, patience has its limits, Iran has threatened to respond forcefully if such violations continue. On April 1, 2024, Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in Damascus, prompting Iran to launch its first attack on Israel. The second attack occurred on October 1, just two months after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a few days following an airstrike that killed Hassan Nasrullah along with several high-ranking officials of Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned that “Iran is prepared to take similar action again if necessary”.[4] Notably, these attacks were not intended to target Israeli civilians; rather, their purpose was to send a warning message to Israel. By doing so, Iran aimed to demonstrate its readiness to defend itself against Israel and its allies at any cost.
In any case, it is difficult to predict the consequences of the Iran-Israel conflict. While Israel appears to be attempting to draw Iran into a war that would also involve the US and its Western allies, both the US and Europe seem to be reluctant to engage themselves in a full scale war with Iran. Besides, although Israel has targeted Iran’s allies in the region, military measures alone do not appear to root out the problem. At its core, there are ideological disputes and deep-rooted grievances. The ideology of groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas cannot be eliminated through military force, as it is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people and all those who feel oppressed by Israel.
The only viable long-term solution to this conflict is peaceful negotiation, but given the current circumstances, peace does not have an opportunity to present itself. However, it is unlikely that Iran and Israel will engage in full-scale war, but targeted assassinations and proxy conflicts will likely continue between the two states. Thus, peace between Iran and Israel, under the present actors, is unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran’s anti-Zionist ideology, and each state’s strategic interests and alliances create barriers to compromise.
Finally, the Iran-Israel conflict reveals a significant difference in the level of support each state receives. Israel enjoys the backing of the US and other Western powers, while Iran seems to be largely isolated on the world stage. Though Russia and China have provided covert support to Iran, their assistance might not be stable since it can shift in response to regional developments and global policies.
Ahmad R Taheri is Head of TECODH a private think tank (Iran) and Head of Iranian Association of West Asian Studies (Sistan & Balochistan). He is also an overseas member of International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS). www.taheri.blogfa.com
Notes
[1] In his latest appearance in Tehran’s Friday prayer (namaz-e jamaat) on 04 October 2024, Ayatollah Khamenie discussed different issues related to the ongoing Israel war in Palestine and Lebnon and asserted that “We will never leave Palestine alone and it is our mission to support the Palestine.” See the full text on the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader. “Leader of the Islamic Revolution delivers sermon at Friday prayers: the armed forces’ action against the Zionist regime was entirely legal.” https://www.leader.ir/en/content/27676/Leader-of-the-Islamic-Revolution-Delivers-Sermon-at-Friday-Prayers
[2] Several Iranian political figures, military officials, entities, and factions have made explicit and implicit statements advocating for the elimination of Israel as a political entity. Such rhetoric has been widely broadcast by state-run media outlets in Iran.
[3] From 2010 to 2020, five Iranian nuclear scientists (Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh) were assassinated in a series of killings linked to foreign involvement. Iran has accused Israel of involvement in the assassinations in an effort to undermine Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon once had said: “We will act in any way and are not willing to tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. We prefer that this be done by means of sanctions, but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself.” For more see, “Israel behind assassinations of Iran nuclear scientists, Ya’alon hints”. The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
[4] For more on this see: https://news.sky.com/story/irans-supreme-leader-warns-missile-attack-on-israel-will-be-done-again-if-necessary-13227764
سلام و عرض ادب
از تحلیل ارزشمند و جامعی که درباره تنشهای ایران و اسرائیل ارائه شد، صمیمانه تشکر میکنیم. پرداختن به ابعاد تاریخی، سیاسی و ایدئولوژیک این مناقشه به ما کمک میکند تا با نگاهی دقیقتر به عوامل ریشهای این چالش طولانیمدت بپردازیم.