Iran–Israel proxy conflict
The Iran–Israel proxy conflict, also known as the Iran–Israel proxy war[25] or Iran–Israel Cold War,[26] is an ongoing proxy conflict between Iran and Israel. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia militias, most notably Hezbollah. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran has backed Palestinian groups such as Hamas. Israel has supported Iranian rebels, such as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, conducted airstrikes against Iranian allies in Syria and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. In 2018 Israeli forces directly attacked Iranian forces in Syria.[27]
Motivated by the periphery doctrine, Imperial Iran and Israel had close relations, seeing Arab powers as a common threat. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran cut off relations, but covert ties continued during the subsequent Iran–Iraq War. Iran trained and armed Hezbollah during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and continued to back Shia militias throughout the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon.[28] Even before 1979, Iranian Islamists had materially supported the Palestinians; after 1979 Iran attempted relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and later with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Israel fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel has fought several wars with Palestinians in and around the Gaza Strip: in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2023-2024. The 1982 Lebanon War and Israel–Hamas war have been the deadliest wars of the Arab–Israeli conflict.[29]
Various reasons have been given for the Iran-Israel conflict. Iran and Israel had previously enjoyed warm ties due to common threats, but by 1990s the USSR had dissolved and Iraq had been weakened.[30] Iranian Islamists have long championed the Palestinian people, whom they perceive as oppressed.[31] Scholars believe that by supporting the Palestinians, Iran seeks greater acceptance among Sunnis and Arabs, both of whom dominate the Middle East.[32][33] Ideologically, Iran seeks to replace Israel with a one-state solution (though Iran has at times also supported the two-state solution[34]) and has predicted Israel's demise.[35] Israel sees Iran as an existential threat,[36] and accuses its regime of harboring genocidal intentions.[37] Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.[38]
History
Relationship with PLO
Starting in the 1960s, many Iranians (both leftist and religious) had volunteered to fight against Israel with various Palestinian organizations, including the Palestinian Liberation Organization.[48] Some of these volunteers, who had received training in Lebanon and Jordan, then returned to Iran to fight against the Shah.[48]
Yasser Arafat visited Iran on February 17, 1979, becoming the first foreign leader to visit the country after the Islamic Revolution.[48] During Arafat's visit, Iran severed ties with Israel and expelled Israeli diplomats.[48] The PLO found Iran's revolution inspiring, given that Khomenei, who had been exiled from his homeland, defeated a militarily powerful enemy supported by the US, something that the PLO thought it could replicate against Israel.[49] On the other hand, Palestinians felt Arab nationalism was at a dead end.[49] Arabs were defeated in the 1967 war, Jordan expelled the PLO in 1970 and Egypt recognized Israel in 1978.[49][48]
During the Iran hostage crisis, the PLO attempted to mediate with the Iranian students, but failed.[50] In addition, secret documents were allegedly discovered at the US embassy detailing Israeli support for the Shah's regime.[51]
At the start of the Iran-Iraq war, Yasser Arafat tried to mediate between Saddam Hussein and Khomenei.[52] Arafat feared the war would distract from the Palestinian cause.[52] Arafat travelled personally on September 20, 1980, to Baghdad and Tehran, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Arafat eventually sided with Iraq during the war.[53] Despite this, Iranian leaders kept a pro-Palestinian stance.[54]
Israeli occupation of Lebanon
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. The leaders of the Lebanese Shia community appealed to Iran for help.[55] Khomeini sent his defense minister and military leaders to Syria to assist, but eventually concluded that Iran could not fight a two-front war given its ongoing war with Iraq.[56]
Despite Israeli success in eradicating PLO bases and partial withdrawal in 1985, the Israeli invasion had actually increased the severity of conflict with local Lebanese militias and resulted in the consolidation of several local Shia Muslim movements in Lebanon, including Hezbollah and Amal, from a previously unorganized guerrilla movement in the south. Over the years, military casualties of both sides grew higher, as both parties used more modern weaponry, and Hezbollah progressed in its tactics.
Iran supplied the militant organization Hezbollah with substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid while persuading Hezbollah to take action against Israel.[57][58][59] Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed among its four main goals "Israel's final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration."[60] According to reports released in February 2010, Hezbollah received $400 million from Iran.[58] By the early 1990s, Hezbollah, with support from Syria and Iran, emerged as the leading group and military power, monopolizing the directorship of the guerrilla activity in South Lebanon.