Why Israel and Iran are enemies: A tale of two nations, friendship turned to fury

In the bustling streets of 1970s Tehran, Israeli diplomats mingled freely, and trade flowed as easily as oil. Iran, under the Shah, was Israel’s unlikely but steadfast ally. The two nations swapped intelligence, arms, and technology, united by mutual suspicion of their Arab neighbours and a shared vision of modernity.

But in 1979, the world changed overnight. The Islamic Revolution swept away the Shah, replacing him with Ayatollah Khomeini and a regime that saw Israel not as a friend, but as the very embodiment of Western oppression. The new Iran broke all ties, denouncing Israel’s existence and vowing to champion the Palestinian cause.

From cold peace to shadow war

The split was more than diplomatic. Iran became the chief sponsor of armed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, funnelling money, arms, and training to Israel’s most determined enemies. Israel, alarmed by Iran’s rhetoric and nuclear ambitions, responded with covert operations, sabotage, and a relentless campaign to isolate Tehran on the world stage.

What began as a cold war of spies and sanctions has now erupted into open conflict. Recent years have seen missile strikes, assassinations, and drone attacks, as both sides accuse each other of existential threats. Israel’s leaders openly declare the need to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s survival,” while Iran’s supreme leader promises “bitter and painful” retaliation.

Why the enmity endures

At its heart, the Israel-Iran rivalry is about more than territory or resources. It is a clash of ideologies — one secular, the other religious; one West-aligned, the other defiantly anti-Western. Each sees the other as a symbol of everything it opposes, and both have built regional alliances to counter the other’s influence.

Today, the old friendship is a distant memory, replaced by a bitter and dangerous rivalry that shapes the fate of West Asia — and threatens to draw the world into its shadow.