From Allies to Adversaries: The Tangled History of Israel, Iran, and the US

The direct military conflict that erupted between Israel and Iran in June 2025, ultimately drawing in the United States, was not a sudden crisis. It was the explosive culmination of a decades-long transformation—a journey from close cooperation and strategic alliance to ideological rivalry and, finally, open warfare. To understand the roots of this conflict, one must look back to a very different era, a time when Israel and Iran were improbable partners.

Former Allies: A Strategic Partnership Forged by Common Threats (1948–1979)

Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the relationship between Israel and Iran was remarkably close. Following Israel's establishment in 1948, Iran became the second Muslim-majority nation, after Turkey, to recognize its sovereignty. At the time, both nations faced a common threat from the rise of pan-Arab nationalism, which pushed them into an unofficial strategic alliance.

Under the pro-Western rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran was a crucial pillar of US strategy in the Middle East during the Cold War. Israel, following the "Periphery Doctrine" of its first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, saw non-Arab Iran as a natural partner on the fringes of the Arab world.

A Golden Age of Cooperation:

• Military and Intelligence: The two countries engaged in extensive, albeit secret, military cooperation, including a joint missile development program codenamed "Project Flower."
  
  
• Economy and Energy: Iran was one of Israel's primary oil suppliers, with Iranian oil flowing to Europe through the jointly-owned Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline.
  
  
• Diplomacy and Culture: Israel maintained a de facto embassy in Tehran, and national airlines operated direct flights between the two countries. Iran was also home to the largest Jewish community in the region.

This triangular relationship, tacitly supported by the United States, allowed Iran and Israel to coordinate strategies to counter shared enemies and influence US policy in the Middle East.

The 1979 Revolution: From Partners to "Great and Little Satans"

The 1979 Islamic Revolution shattered this alliance. Under the new leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s foreign policy pivoted dramatically. The new regime adopted a fiercely anti-American and anti-Israeli ideology, framing them as enemies of Islam. All official ties with Israel were severed.

The United States was branded the "Great Satan," and Israel the "Little Satan." The Israeli mission in Tehran was closed and handed over to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In a historic reversal, the former allies became sworn enemies.

The Era of Shadow War: Proxy Conflicts and a Nuclear Standoff (1980s–2024)

Following the revolution, the hostility did not immediately translate into direct war. Instead, it descended into a decades-long "shadow war" fought through proxies and covert operations.

• Iran's "Axis of Resistance": Iran began funding, arming, and training a network of militias opposed to Israel and US influence. This network, known as the "Axis of Resistance," includes groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
  
  
• Israel's Counter-Operations: Israel retaliated with a campaign of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria, assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, and support for Iranian opposition groups.

The central and most dangerous element of this shadow war has been Iran's nuclear program. Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has vowed to prevent it at all costs. While Iran has long insisted its program is for peaceful purposes, its uranium enrichment levels have approached weapons-grade, raising international alarm.

Towards Open War: The Commitment Trap and a Shifting Middle East (2025)

By 2025, the long-simmering shadow war finally boiled over into direct conflict. Several factors contributed to this escalation:

• The Commitment Trap: Analysts suggest all three parties were caught in a "commitment trap." Israel had defined preventing a nuclear Iran as an unshakeable national security red line. Iran, due to decades of ideology and investment, could not back down on its nuclear ambitions. The US was trapped by its dual commitments to protect Israel's security and prevent Iranian proliferation.
  
  
• A Regional Power Vacuum: The Gaza war that began in October 2023 and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in 2024 weakened Iran's regional "Axis of Resistance." Israel saw this as a window of opportunity to strike.
  
  
• Nuclear Urgency: Israeli intelligence concluded that Iran had reached a point where it could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, creating an imminent threat that demanded preemptive action.

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," striking Iran's nuclear and military facilities. Iran retaliated with "Operation True Promise III," launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. The conflict escalated rapidly, with the US intervening directly on June 21 to bomb three of Iran's key nuclear sites.

The Global Web of Alliances: International Powers Behind the Conflict

The conflict was not merely a three-way confrontation but a reflection of broader global alignments.

• Iran's Allies: Beyond its regional Axis of Resistance, Iran has aligned with an informal bloc challenging US global dominance, including China, Russia, and North Korea.
  
  
• Israel's Allies: Israel’s primary strategic partner remains the United States. While other Western nations like the G7 supported Israel's right to security, they also urged de-escalation. Furthermore, shared concerns over Iran have led to informal cooperation between Israel and several Arab states.

A ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and others, was announced by US President Trump on June 23. While the immediate fighting has paused, the fundamental drivers of the conflict—Iran's nuclear ambitions, Israel's security anxieties, US regional interests, and decades of ideological animosity—remain unresolved. This tangled history, from alliance to open hostility, shows that the path to a stable peace in the Middle East remains as challenging as ever.