7 Things You Need to Know About the Israel-Iran War
This is not a conflict over two competing national claims. Israel wants to survive, Iran wants to conquer.
Please consider supporting our mission to help everyone better understand and become smarter about the Jewish world. A gift of any amount helps keep our platform free of advertising and accessible to all.
You can also listen to the podcast version of this essay on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
The war between Israel and Iran is not a sudden flare-up.
It is the result of decades of hostility, Islamist ideology, strategic planning, and international negligence.
If you’re trying to understand how we got here, and why it matters, here are seven things you need to know:
1) Iran and Israel used to be allies.
It may come as a shock today, but Israel and Iran once had close, peaceful, and mutually beneficial relations.
From Israel’s founding in 1948 until the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran was one of only two majority-Muslim countries (alongside Turkey) to recognize Israel de facto — even if not formally de jure. And this wasn’t just passive acknowledgment. Iran and Israel were partners.
Diplomatic Ties: Iran allowed Israel to operate a diplomatic mission in Tehran, and both countries maintained robust back-channel communications. Mossad and SAVAK (Iran’s secret service under the Shah) even cooperated on intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism operations.
Energy Cooperation: Iran supplied Israel with oil — quietly, but consistently. Israel, an energy-poor state, depended heavily on these shipments, especially after the 1973 Arab oil embargo.
Military and Economic Trade: Israeli firms helped modernize Iran’s agriculture, military infrastructure, and civilian industries. In return, Iran provided Israel with vital natural resources and served as a key strategic partner in a hostile region.
Shared Threat Perception: Both countries viewed the rise of Arab nationalism — especially under Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser — as a regional threat. This common enemy solidified a realpolitik alliance, which became a cornerstone of what Israeli strategists called the “periphery doctrine”: the idea that Israel could find allies on the outer rim of the Middle East to counterbalance its immediate hostile neighbors.
Jewish Life in Iran: The Jewish community in Iran, one of the oldest in the world, experienced relative stability under the Shah. Synagogues flourished. Iranian Jews held public office, participated in the economy, and maintained open ties with Israel. Many Iranian Jews visited or had family in Israel.
But that all changed in 1979, when the Iranian Revolution replaced the pro-Western Shah with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s Islamist regime. Khomeini called for Israel’s destruction, cut ties immediately, and transformed Iran into the world’s leading sponsor of antisemitic terrorism. Israel, once a partner, was now the enemy.
2) Iran started this war — in 1979.
The Islamic Republic of Iran didn’t just cut off relations with Israel in 1979; it declared war.
When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power during the Iranian Revolution, he did more than topple the Shah. He rewrote Iran’s national identity around a radical vision of Shi’a Islamic supremacy and global jihad. And central to that vision was the total destruction of the State of Israel.
This wasn’t symbolic rhetoric. It was baked into the DNA of the new regime. Iran’s constitution, military doctrine, and foreign policy all reflected a fanatical commitment to Israel’s annihilation. Khomeini called Israel a “cancerous tumor,” a phrase that has since been echoed by every Supreme Leader, including Ali Khamenei, who continues to post threats against Israel on social media to this day.
Rather than confront Israel directly, the regime adopted a long-term strategy of asymmetrical warfare. Iran became the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism — creating, arming, and financing a vast network of violent proxies across the Middle East. Among them:
Hezbollah in Lebanon, a Shi’a militia that has grown into a military force with more missiles than many national armies. Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets at Israeli towns and cities, kidnapped Israeli soldiers, and attempted cross-border raids — all at Iran’s command and expense.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, which have received Iranian money, weapons, and training. These groups have used suicide bombings, rocket fire, tunnel infiltration, and brutal massacres — including the October 7th atrocities — to terrorize Israeli civilians.
The Houthis in Yemen, who have fired long-range ballistic missiles at Israeli territory, attacked Red Sea shipping, and openly declared themselves part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance.”
Shi’a militias in Iraq and Syria, many of which have attacked U.S. and Israeli targets in the region, functioning as satellite armies for Tehran.
Iran has spent billions of dollars funding this global web of terror, even while ordinary Iranians face crushing poverty, repression, and economic ruin. The regime’s goal has never been peaceful coexistence. It has always been confrontation. And it has never been about land, but about Israel’s very right to exist.
This war didn’t start in 2025. It didn’t start with Gaza. It didn’t start with nuclear enrichment or diplomatic disputes.
It started in 1979, when Iran’s leaders replaced diplomacy with death chants, peace with proxy war, and international relations with genocidal obsession.
And for 46 years, they have never once paused, only escalated.
3) This wasn’t a spontaneous Israeli strike.
Let’s be clear: Israel didn’t wake up one morning and decide to bomb Iran. What the world witnessed was not a reckless act of aggression. It was the calculated execution of a long-prepared, high-risk, high-stakes operation designed to neutralize a regime that had already been waging war — quietly, persistently, and ruthlessly — for decades.
Israel didn’t go looking for this war. Iran brought it to Israel’s doorstep year after year. But Israel prepared for the moment when it would have to fight back. Behind the scenes, this preparation spanned years, if not decades. According to senior Israeli officials, three critical covert elements enabled this unprecedented strike:
A Drone Base Inside Iran
Mossad agents secretly established a drone-launching base near Tehran, deep inside Iranian territory. That alone is a staggering intelligence achievement. These drones were launched in the dead of night to strike Iranian surface-to-surface missile batteries aimed directly at Israeli cities, neutralizing them before they could fire.
Smuggled Weapons Systems
Over time, Israel infiltrated Iran’s borders not with troops, but with vehicles loaded with advanced weapons systems. These were not just for offense; they were built to suppress Iran’s sophisticated air defense networks. Once activated, they created gaps in radar and missile coverage, giving Israeli aircraft unprecedented air supremacy over Iranian skies.
Mossad Commandos with Precision Missiles
At the same time, elite Mossad operatives stationed inside Iran deployed precision-guided missiles near anti-aircraft sites in central Iran. Their targets were Iran’s most sensitive military infrastructure: air defense hubs, nuclear facility perimeters, and high-level military command posts. These strikes created shockwaves across the regime.
This wasn’t just a military operation; it was a masterpiece of intelligence, timing, deception, and logistics. For a nation of fewer than 10 million people, surrounded by hostility, this kind of strategic depth is simply survival.
4) Israel’s goal is simple and singular: to live.
At its core, the Israel-Iran conflict is not just a geopolitical rivalry. It’s a clash between two fundamentally different worldviews: one rooted in national survival, the other in imperial religious conquest.
The Jewish state exists because, after centuries of persecution, pogroms, and genocide, the Jewish People needed a sovereign homeland to ensure their safety and dignity. Israel is not trying to expand its borders, convert its neighbors, or dominate the region. It seeks peace, prosperity, and security for its citizens: Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others.
Iran’s goal, under its current regime, is Islamist hegemony. The Islamic Republic is not a normal state acting in defense of its interests. It is a theocratic regime driven by an apocalyptic ideology that seeks to export its Islamic Revolution across the Muslim world and beyond. Its ultimate vision is a Shi’a-dominated Islamic caliphate stretching from Tehran to Beirut, from Gaza to Sana’a, one in which Israel has no place and Jews have no right to exist.
Iran’s military expansionism isn’t accidental. It’s doctrinal. The regime funds militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen not for defensive purposes, but to establish a “crescent of control” encircling Israel and projecting power across the region. It trains child soldiers, builds proxy armies, and radicalizes populations with genocidal anti-Israel propaganda, all in service of a long-term religious war against the West, and against Jews in particular.
This is not a conflict over two competing national claims. This is one nation fighting for its life against a regime fighting for a messianic empire. Israel builds Iron Dome systems to defend its people from missiles. Iran builds missiles to erase a nation from the map. Israel wants to survive. Iran wants to conquer.
5) Israel’s actions have been totally legal.
In a world where words like “international law” are often thrown around selectively, it’s important to be clear: Israel’s military action against Iran was both morally justified and firmly grounded in international law.
Article 51 of the United Nations Charter enshrines the inherent right of nations to defend themselves: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs...”
This clause is not a loophole; it’s a foundational principle. And it applies directly to Israel. Iran has launched, and continues to launch, armed attacks against Israel:
Through proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who have killed thousands of Israelis in suicide bombings, rocket fire, and cross-border raids
Through cyber warfare, including attempts to hack Israel’s infrastructure, hospitals, and water supply systems
Through missile strikes and drone attacks, including recent launches by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and their regional militias.
Through open declarations from top Iranian officials — including Supreme Leader Khamenei — calling for Israel’s destruction
Under Article 51, Israel has not just the right, but the duty to respond to these acts of aggression in defense of its people. Self-defense is not a war crime. It is a nation’s most basic obligation.
Israel’s strike also falls under the Caroline Doctrine, a principle of customary international law dating back to the 19th century. This doctrine allows a nation to use force preemptively if the following conditions are met:
The threat must be instant. (Iran has enriched uranium to near-weapons-grade levels, conducted ballistic missile tests, and expelled international inspectors.)
The threat must be overwhelming. (A nuclear-armed Iran would dramatically alter the regional balance of power, embolden its terror proxies, and put millions of Israeli lives at risk.)
There must be no choice of means and no moment for deliberation. (Diplomacy has failed, sanctions have slowed but not stopped Iran’s progress, and the international community has shown no willingness to act with urgency.)
To wait until Iran actually launched a nuclear strike would be suicidal, not only for Israel, but for the entire region. Under the Caroline standard, Israel is not merely justified in striking first; it is obligated to do so.
6) Arab states aren’t rushing to Iran’s side.
One of the most remarkable and underreported aspects of the Israel-Iran conflict is what isn’t happening: The Arab world is not rising up in defense of Iran. No emergency summit of the Arab League. No coordinated condemnations. No oil embargo. No mass protests in Riyadh or Abu Dhabi. No demands to punish Israel.
Why?
Because even many of Israel’s historical adversaries know the truth: Iran is the real threat.
In the past, an Israeli strike on a Muslim country might have triggered diplomatic chaos across the Arab world. But not today. Many Arab leaders, especially in the Gulf, have quietly reoriented their view of the region. They see Iran not as a misunderstood neighbor, but as an imperial aggressor whose tentacles are wrapped around Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Gaza.
These regimes know what the Western media often ignores:
Iran is destabilizing Arab countries through armed militias and political subversion.
Iran is fomenting religious division, trying to export its Shi’a revolution into Sunni-majority nations.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions threaten not just Israel, but the entire region — including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Egypt.
That’s why countries like the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords. It wasn’t just about normalizing relations with Israel; it was about building a regional bloc to counter Iranian expansion.
Some Arab leaders may still bristle at Zionism in public, but behind closed doors, Israel is increasingly seen as an asset, not a liability, for a few reasons: Israel has the military capability to strike Iranian assets that others cannot, Israel has the intelligence capacity to infiltrate and monitor Iranian proxies, Israel has no colonial ambitions in Arab states, and Israel isn’t trying to convert anyone or export revolution.
Iran, on the other hand, has supported Houthi rebels firing missiles at Saudi Arabia. It has armed militias that destabilize Iraq and Syria. It has flooded Lebanon with weapons, leaving Beirut in ruins and Hezbollah in charge.
Arab governments may not cheer Israeli strikes publicly, but their silence speaks volumes.
7) The West gave Israel no choice but to attack.
If you're wondering why Israel launched such a bold and far-reaching strike deep into Iranian territory, don’t just look at Tehran. Look at Washington, Brussels, and Vienna.
For over two decades, Israel warned the world — calmly, repeatedly, and with mounting urgency — about Iran’s rogue nuclear ambitions. It presented intelligence. It cooperated with inspectors. It lobbied for sanctions. It urged red lines. It begged the West to take the threat seriously.
But instead of stopping Iran, the West appeased it.
In 2015, the Obama administration and other world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The agreement was hailed as a diplomatic triumph, but in reality, it was a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.
The deal let Iran keep its nuclear infrastructure. It ignored Iran’s ballistic missile program. It gave Iran billions in sanctions relief, which the regime used not to help its people, but to fund terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. And worst of all, it had sunset clauses, meaning Iran simply had to wait a few years to resume enrichment legally.
Israel opposed the deal for good reason: It was built on hope, not enforcement. And as expected, Iran violated it anyway, enriching uranium far beyond permitted levels, blocking international inspections, and accelerating toward breakout capacity.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, no friend of Israel, issued repeated warnings in recent years. Inspectors were denied access to critical sites. Uranium enrichment reached weapons-grade levels. Iran began producing uranium metal, a key nuclear weapons component. Yet the global response remained stuck in “strongly worded statement” mode.
No new sanctions. No real consequences. Just more diplomatic hand-wringing.
While Iran openly violated its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the United Nations Security Council did what it does best: nothing. Russian and Chinese veto power ensured no meaningful action. The same international community that holds emergency sessions to condemn Israeli housing permits said little, and did even less, while Iran built the machinery of mass murder.
Israel gave diplomacy significant time and a real chance. But at some point, the “international community” must be called what it really is: international inertia. Faced with an existential threat and global indifference, Israel had two options: wait for Iran to cross the nuclear threshold and hope it didn’t press the button, or strike first, neutralize the threat, and defend its future.
It chose survival, as any sovereign state would, especially one with the scars of history written in blood. So no, this wasn’t aggression. It was a vacuum filled by necessity. The West failed to act, so Israel courageously did what Western powers would not.
Thank you for the excellent report on the Israel-Iran war and history. It is written so well a grade school student could understand. Maybe, some Israel haters/Jew haters will read this and finally understand the truth.
Israel has spent years trying to warn the world of Iran's ambitions and plans. As usual, nobody listened-- even the US did not seem to fully grasp the danger. Other former friends of Israel have turned their backs and espoused Israel's enemies.
Now, Israel is doing what it must to insure its survival. They are also providing most of the globe safety and security.
Thank God for standing with Israel.
Thank you, Israel, from your many supporters in the USA. We understand that you are dealing with the terrorist threat that has attacked the USA in the past and is willing to annihilate the entire world.