Iran–Israel Conflict Explained: From 1948 Friendship To 2026 War

For decades, Iran and Israel were not enemies but strategic partners. Iran was among the first Muslim-majority countries to recognise Israel after its creation in 1948, and under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the two nations built deep economic, military and intelligence ties. Iran supplied oil to Israel, Israeli firms helped develop infrastructure in Iran, and cooperation extended to arms projects and intelligence sharing. Everything changed in 1979 when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah and transformed Iran into an Islamic republic. Diplomatic relations with Israel were cut overnight, the Israeli embassy in Tehran was handed to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Iran’s leadership declared Israel an illegitimate state. In the decades that followed, the rivalry intensified through proxy conflicts across the Middle East. Iran backed groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas as part of its “Axis of Resistance”, while Israel responded with covert operations, cyberattacks, assassinations of nuclear scientists and strikes on Iranian assets in Syria. Tensions escalated further over Iran’s nuclear programme, which Israel has long viewed as an existential threat. By the 2020s, the shadow conflict between the two countries had moved into direct confrontation, with missile barrages, airstrikes and covert operations pushing the region closer to wider war. This explainer traces the dramatic transformation of Iran and Israel—from quiet partners and strategic allies to bitter adversaries shaping the geopolitics of the Middle East today.