The Roots Of Iran Israel Conflict

The Roots of Iran-Israel Conflict:

The Iran-Israel conflict is an issue that deeply  rooted in the historical, geopolitical, ideological, and in contemporary dimensions just the after formation of the Jewish State of Israel in the aftermath of World War II in 1948. The Islamic Revolution and the rise of an anti-Western and anti-Israeli regime under Ayatollah Khomeini that took place in Iran 1979, has fueled up the tensions between these states more intensively and now it's become hot zone.

Geopolitically, Iran and Israel represent competing spheres of influence in the Middle East without sharing any land or sea border with each other. Iran aspiring to regional dominance and Israel prioritizing its security in a predominantly in the Arab and Muslim neighborhood has always been a problem for this region. Israel’s hostiled approach to the Palestinians and the the expansionism has always been a concern for the Arab nations. The Iran's Islamic Republic calls Israel as a symbol of evil of the Western imperialism and in other hand Israel considers Iran as a terrorist state supporting militant and proxy groups to target Israel's sovereignty. Specific flashpoints, including Iran's nuclear program and Iran's support to Shia Islamic groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon have triggered more tensions. The assassination of Iran's top army commander Sulaimani, and the latest bombings on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in Syria and  the rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas fueling Israel’s growing hostilities towards Palestinians in Gaza will may trigger a global conflict.

Historically, Iran and the Jewish people had relatively cordial relations approximately between  550 BCE to 330 BCE notably under the auspices of influential Persian rulers like Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great. Within the Persian hegemony, Jews were granted a semblance of autonomy, permitted to govern themselves in accordance with their customs and laws. The Jewish communities flourished in Persia for centuries, with notable periods of prosperity and cooperation. One of the most famous examples of Jewish-Persian relations is the story of Queen Esther, who is celebrated in the Jewish holiday of Purim for her role in saving the Jewish people from persecution in ancient Persia. After the Zionist movement and the Balfour Declaration, with the end of World War II and the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marked a significant turning point in Iran-Israel relations. While some Iranian leaders initially expressed support for the creation of Israel, but the sentiments quickly shifted during  the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949. Iran's rejection of Israel recognition and existence has been started to intensify. Iran started to align itself more closely towarfs to Arab states in the region.

After the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the new Iranian government adopted a hard core anti-Israel stance, viewing Israel as an illegitimate state occupying Palestinian land. This shift was fueled by Iran's support for Palestinian resistance movements, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which were engaged in conflict with Israel now. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, frequently denounced Israel, referring to it as the "Little Satan" and calling for its destruction. This rhetoric exacerbated and destroyed all diplomatic relations between Iran and Israel. Iran's support for anti-Israeli groups also extended to providing them with financial aid, weapons, and training, further escalating hostilities between the two countries. Its worth to mention that the new Iranian regime after the Revolution of 1979 under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has an ideological foundation on Shia Islamism that set the stage for a fundamental reorientation of Iran's foreign policies of anti Israeli.  Iran's support for Palestinian militant groups, notably Hamas and Hezbollah, further exacerbated tensions, as Iran provided them with financial assistance, weapons, and ideological backing to challenge Israel's existence. The Israeli government, in turn, perceived Iran's influence in the region and its support for anti-Israel proxies as an existential threat to its security. Israel's concerns were magnified by Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities, which it feared could be used to develop nuclear weapons aimed at its destruction.  As the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy is guided by a combination of ideological principles, including revolutionary Shia Islamism and anti-imperialism. Iran's support for proxy groups, such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, allows it to project power and influence beyond its borders, challenging Israel's regional dominance and promoting its own strategic objectives. Iran's support for the Assad regime in Syria and its deployment of military advisors and proxy militias have drawn Israel into direct confrontations, including airstrikes targeting Iranian positions and weapons transfers to Hezbollah.

On the other hand, Israel, a small but technologically advanced nation, has emerged as a dominant military power in the region, with formidable capabilities and strategic alliances, particularly with the United States. Israel's foreign policy is primarily driven by its commitment to ensuring the security and survival of the Jewish state, as well as countering perceived threats from hostile neighbors, including Iran and its proxies. Israel's military prowess, demonstrated through its successful preemptive strikes against potential nuclear threats in the region, underscores its determination to maintain its qualitative military edge and deter potential adversaries. Additionally, Israel's strategic partnerships with Sunni Arab states, driven by shared concerns over Iran's regional ambitions, have reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, fostering covert cooperation and intelligence sharing to counter common threats.

The Iran nuclear program has been a central factor in the deterioration of relations between Iran and Israel, escalating regional instability. Israel, viewing a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, and has been opposing Iran's nuclear ambitions, fearing that a nuclear-armed Iran could embolden its aggressive behavior towards Israel and its support for anti-Israeli proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas. This fear has always been compounded by Iran's repeated calls for the destruction of Israel and its denial of the Holocaust, supporting ideologically the Nazi regime's hostile intentions towards the Jewish state. As Iran continued to defy international pressure and sanctions to halt its nuclear enrichment activities, Israel adopted a proactive approach, including covert operations and cyberattacks targeting Iran's nuclear facilities, including the assassinations of Iran's top nuclear scientists. Israel also lobbied for more stringent international sanctions and diplomatic isolation of Iran, warning of the grave consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran for regional stability and global security. Conversely, Iran viewed Israel's opposition to its nuclear program as hypocritical, given Israel's own undeclared nuclear arsenals. 

The United States also plays a significant role in shaping the dynamics of the Iran and Israel conflict, primarily due to its close alliance with Israel and its geopolitical interests in the Middle East. Over the years, U.S. administration has pursued a very hostile approaches to Iran diplomaticaly with military threats and with economic sanctions. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. adopted a maximum pressure campaign against Iran, withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and imposing severe economic sanctions. In addition to the United States, other regional players also play significant roles in shaping the dynamics of the Iran-Israel conflict the Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, shares Israel's concerns about Iran's growing influence and support for militant groups in the region. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, including countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also view Iran as a primary security threat. These countries, many of which have significant Sunni Muslim populations, and has always a concern about Iran's ambitions as Iran represents Shia muslims. Russia and China, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, also play influential roles in the Iran-Israel conflict. Russia, a key ally of the Assad regime in Syria, has close ties with Iran and has provided military support to Iranian-backed forces in the country. China, meanwhile, maintains economic ties with both Iran and Israel but the Tiwan issue  with the USA and its allies may shift the Chinese leverage towards Iran. 

Iran-Israel conflict is complex and an issue driven by historical grievances, geopolitical ambitions, ideological differences, and contemporary developments rooted in the aftermath of World War II and the establishment of the State of Israel. This conflict has evolved over the decades into a protracted struggle for regional dominance and security. Israel's hostilities towards Palestinians, ideological differences between the two states, Iran's nuclear program and the regional proxy conflicts, has contributed a lot  towards a never-ending tensions between the two states which may be ened up with a global escalation.