On the morning of June 13, Israel launched major attacks on Iran, targeting its nuclear sites and military bases. Several nuclear scientists and top officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed. Iran also claimed that civilians died in the strikes. These attacks happened just before Iran and the U.S. were to hold talks over Iran’s growing uranium enrichment—a program Iran says is peaceful, but Israel sees as a serious threat to its survival.
By evening, Iran hit back by launching ballistic missiles at Israeli military bases, including places where fighter jets are refueled. Some missiles reportedly got past Israel’s advanced ‘Iron Dome’ defense system and struck central Tel Aviv, close to the headquarters of the Israeli military.
This marks the fifth day of fighting between the two countries, with no end in sight. On Monday, Israel bombed more sites in Tehran, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said the war would only end with the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These strikes have increased fears of a full-scale war in West Asia, already unstable since the 2023 conflict in Gaza that began after the Hamas terror attacks.
Though Iran and Israel are now enemies, they were once allies. Netanyahu now calls Iran’s nuclear program the biggest threat to Israel. Iran, on the other hand, accuses Israel of repeated sabotage and secret killings.
When Iran and Israel Were Allies
In 1948, most Muslim-majority countries refused to recognize Israel. However, Iran (a Shia-majority country) and Turkey accepted it. Their connection was the United States.
Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran had grown closer to the West and became a major U.S. ally during the Cold War. Israel also needed U.S. support, and this led to a strong bond between Iran and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion launched a strategy called the “Periphery Doctrine,” which aimed to build alliances with non-Arab countries—like Iran, Turkey, and Ethiopia.
These countries cooperated in trade, military equipment, and intelligence. Israel’s Mossad and Iran’s SAVAK worked together. Iran also supplied Israel with oil after Arab nations cut off supply following the Six-Day War. In return, Israel helped with infrastructure and development projects in Iran.
This friendship lasted until 1979, when the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran. The Shah was removed, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini formed the Islamic Republic, completely changing Iran’s political direction and ending ties with Israel.
The Breakdown of Relations
Even during their alliance, some groups in Iran supported Palestinians. After the revolution, the break became official—Iran stopped recognizing Israeli passports, and Iranian citizens were banned from visiting Israel, which was now called “occupied Palestine.”
Israel was declared an enemy of Islam and labeled the “Little Satan.”
In the 1980s and 1990s, Iran began actively supporting armed groups against Israel. It funded Hezbollah in Lebanon after Israel invaded in 1982, and later also backed the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza. Iran not only gave money but also trained and armed these groups to carry out attacks on Israel. One major example was a 1983 Hezbollah car bombing that hit Israeli military headquarters in Lebanon.
Tensions only grew. In 2000, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei called Israel a “cancerous tumor” in the region. In 2005, he said that Palestine belonged to the Palestinians and only they should decide its future.
After the 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel responded with heavy strikes on both Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran also launched missiles at Israel, which then hit back by destroying some of Iran’s missile bases and weakening its air defenses. With its proxy groups badly damaged and its own defenses exposed, Iran became more vulnerable to direct Israeli attacks.
In response to the recent Israeli airstrikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Israel had “crossed a new red line” by targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and accused it of trying to destroy any chance of peace talks.
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