What Happened
- The 2026 US-Israeli military strikes on Iran — killing Supreme Leader Khamenei and targeting nuclear infrastructure — represent the culmination of nearly five decades of hostility between two states that were once close strategic allies
- Prior to 1979, Israel and Iran under the Pahlavi monarchy maintained one of the most cooperative bilateral relationships in the region: oil trade, intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and open diplomatic contact
- The 1979 Islamic Revolution caused a complete reversal: within days of Khomeini's consolidation of power, Iran severed relations with Israel, handed its former embassy to the PLO, and declared Israel an illegitimate Zionist entity
- Understanding this transformation is essential for analysing the current conflict's ideological and historical roots
Static Topic Bridges
Pre-1979 Iran-Israel Alliance — The "Periphery Doctrine"
Israel's alliance with pre-revolutionary Iran was a deliberate strategic construct, rooted in Israeli strategic thinking articulated by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion as the "Doctrine of the Periphery" (or Alliance of the Periphery). The doctrine held that Israel should cultivate alliances with non-Arab states on the periphery of the Arab world to counterbalance the hostility of Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq) in Israel's immediate neighbourhood.
- Periphery alliance partners included: Iran (under the Shah), Turkey, and Ethiopia — all non-Arab, non-Muslim-majority (or non-Sunni majority) states bordering Arab countries
- The alliance with Iran was quietly extensive: El Al (Israeli national airline) operated direct Tel Aviv-Tehran flights; Israeli construction companies and engineers were active in Iran
- Oil trade: After the 1973 Arab oil embargo, Iran supplied Israel with a significant portion of its crude oil needs; Iranian oil reached European markets via the joint Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline (Trans-Israel Pipeline, or TIPLINE)
- Military-intelligence cooperation: Operation Flower (1977-79) — a secret joint Iranian-Israeli missile development programme, aborted by the revolution; Israeli intelligence (Mossad) assisted SAVAK (Iranian secret police)
- The TRIDENT alliance: A covert intelligence-sharing arrangement among Israel, Iran, and Turkey, established in the 1950s
- Israel recognised the State of Israel in 1950 (de facto recognition); Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to do so after Turkey
Connection to this news: The 2026 conflict represents the complete inversion of this earlier strategic alignment — what was once covert oil trade and arms cooperation has become overt military confrontation, illustrating how ideological revolutions can fundamentally restructure state interests.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution — Ideological Transformation of Iranian State
The 1979 Islamic Revolution was not merely a change of government but a comprehensive transformation of the Iranian state's ideological basis — from a secular, Western-aligned monarchy to a theocratic Islamic Republic grounded in Velayat-e Faqih. This transformation drove the reversal of virtually all of pre-revolutionary Iran's foreign policy alignments.
- The revolution succeeded in February 1979, forcing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to flee (January 1979)
- Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (the founder of the Islamic Republic) had, during his years in exile (Iraq, then France), explicitly linked the Shah's alliance with Israel and the US to illegitimacy — framing the struggle against the monarchy as inseparable from opposition to Zionism and American imperialism
- Within days of the revolution's consolidation: Iran cut diplomatic ties with Israel; the Israeli embassy in Tehran was handed to the PLO; Yasser Arafat was among the first foreign leaders to visit Khomeini
- Khomeini declared Israel an illegitimate "Zionist regime" and Iran began observing Al-Quds Day (last Friday of Ramadan), instituted in 1979, as an annual day of solidarity with Palestinians
- The Palestinian cause became central to Iran's foreign policy — partly ideological (anti-Zionism) and partly strategic (a tool to claim Pan-Islamic leadership despite being Shia in a predominantly Sunni region)
- Iran-Israel hostility intensified after Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which led to the creation of Hezbollah with Iranian guidance and funding — the most consequential proxy Iran ever built
Connection to this news: The ideological framing of the 2026 conflict traces directly to 1979: Iran's President Pezeshkian called Khamenei's killing "a declaration of war against Muslims and Shias" — language drawn directly from the revolutionary vocabulary Khomeini established 47 years ago.
Iran-Israel Conflict Architecture — Proxy Wars and Covert Operations
After 1979, Iran-Israel relations evolved through a series of escalating covert and proxy confrontations. Direct military conflict was avoided for decades through a combination of deterrence, distance, and mutual preference for deniability.
- Hezbollah (Lebanon): Founded 1982, funded and trained by Iran's IRGC Quds Force; fought two major wars with Israel (2000 withdrawal, 2006 Lebanon War); possesses ~150,000 rockets aimed at Israel
- Gaza proxy conflict: Iran arms and funds Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad — both designated terrorist organisations by the US, EU, and India
- Covert operations: Stuxnet cyberattack (attributed to US-Israel) destroyed ~1,000 Iranian centrifuges at Natanz (discovered 2010); assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists (5+ killed since 2010)
- Iran's October 2024 strikes on Israel (Operation True Promise 1, April 2024; True Promise 2, October 2024): First direct, overt state-on-state ballistic missile exchanges between Iran and Israel
- The "shadow war" included Israeli airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria (over 300 times since 2013) and Iranian assassination plots against Israeli officials abroad
Connection to this news: The 2026 Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion represents the escalation from years of "shadow war" to open, declared war — a qualitative threshold crossed when Iran directly launched missiles at Israel (2024) and Israel/US responded with direct strikes killing Iran's Supreme Leader (2026).
India's Historical Ties with Both Iran and Israel
India's foreign policy has historically maintained relations with both Iran and Israel, requiring careful navigation of their mutual hostility. This dual engagement reflects India's strategic autonomy doctrine.
- India-Israel relations: India voted against Israel's UN admission (1949); established full diplomatic relations only in 1992 (after recognition was delayed for 44 years); now among Israel's top arms suppliers
- India-Iran relations: India and Iran share a 3,000-year civilisational connection; India maintains the Chabahar port agreement with Iran (key for connectivity to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan); India's Chabahar investment is exempt from US sanctions under specific waivers
- Chabahar Port (Iran): India's strategic investment (~$500 million committed); located on the Gulf of Oman; provides India access to Afghanistan, Central Asia via the North-South corridor; operated by India Ports Global Limited
- India abstained or voted against resolutions condemning Israel at the UN for decades while maintaining the PLO/Palestinian state relationship
- The 2026 conflict forces India to choose between: its strategic partnership with the US, its economic ties with Israel (defence equipment, technology), and its connectivity investment in Iran (Chabahar) and diaspora in Gulf states
Connection to this news: For India, the Iran-Israel conflict from allies to enemies to open war has created a strategic dilemma: its Chabahar investment in Iran serves its Central Asian connectivity goals, while its defence and technology relationship with Israel is increasingly vital, and its Gulf diaspora depends on the stability that this conflict directly threatens.
Key Facts & Data
- Israel-Iran de facto recognition: 1950 (Israel recognised Iran; Iran became second Muslim country after Turkey to recognise Israel)
- Periphery Doctrine: Formulated by David Ben-Gurion (1950s); targeted non-Arab peripheral states
- Operation Flower (1977-79): Secret Iranian-Israeli joint missile development programme; cancelled by revolution
- 1979 Revolution: Shah fled January 16, 1979; Khomeini returned to Iran February 1, 1979
- Al-Quds Day: Instituted by Khomeini in 1979; observed last Friday of Ramadan annually
- Hezbollah founded: 1982, following Israeli invasion of Lebanon; IRGC-backed
- Stuxnet: Discovered 2010; destroyed ~1,000 Iranian centrifuges at Natanz
- India-Israel full diplomatic relations: January 1992
- Chabahar Port: India's strategic investment; exempt from US sanctions under Iran waivers
- India-Israel defence trade: Approximately $1-2 billion annually [Unverified exact current figure]