sorry for delay, ill post this in two parts
Part 1:
The conflict between Israel and Iran is modern, not ancient — shaped by revolution, foreign interference, and ideological opposition. Unlike the Sunni-Arab hostility toward Israel, Iran’s antagonism dates only to 1979, when the Islamic Revolution redefined the Jewish state as an enemy. Before then, under the Shah, Iran had quietly maintained relations with Israel. Tehran’s hostility today is not random or purely religious; it stems from a revolutionary self-conception — resistance to Western dominance, with Israel seen as its regional pillar.
After Israel’s independence in 1948, Iran — under the Shah — quietly maintained relations with the Jewish state. At the same time, much of Iran’s economy, particularly its oil sector, was dominated by British interests, especially the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later BP). In 1951, Iran’s elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalized the oil industry to reclaim control from British hands. In response, the UK, with American support, organized a covert operation that overthrew Mossadegh in 1953 and reinstalled the Shah. The 1953 coup — rarely discussed in the West — became a defining trauma for Iran. Many Iranians saw it as proof that sovereignty would always be crushed if it conflicted with Western interests. Decades later, when revolutionaries overthrew the Shah, they viewed Israel not just as a regional rival but as a symbol of the same Western interference that had denied Iran self-determination.
For 25 years, the Shah ruled as a Western-aligned autocrat. Though Iran prospered economically, the regime became increasingly repressive, and its alliance with the U.S. and quiet ties to Israel further alienated the religious and nationalist segments of society. When the Islamic Revolution erupted in 1979, it was driven by a desire to rid Iran of foreign domination — political, economic, and cultural. Israel, which had been friendly with the Shah and benefitted from his rule, was immediately cut off and redefined by the new regime as an illegitimate outpost of imperialism.
One year later, In 1980, with tacit approval from the West, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran. The U.S., Europe, and regional powers — including Israel, which secretly armed Iraq — rallied behind the aggression. To Tehran, this was not mere opportunism by Saddam, but a coordinated effort to crush the Islamic Republic in its infancy. The war lasted eight years and cost over a million lives. Iran, isolated and still reeling from revolution, fought alone against a coalition of enemies. The conflict cemented the regime’s worldview: that resistance was the only path to survival. Declassified records show the U.S. provided Iraq with intelligence, chemical weapons precursors, and diplomatic cover — even after Saddam used gas against Iranian troops and Kurdish civilians.
In the decades that followed, Iran developed a strategy based on asymmetric warfare: backing proxies like Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups, building influence through ideology and arms, and confronting Israel indirectly. While Israel rightly sees these groups as terror organizations, Iran views them as tools of deterrence — its only means to project power in a region where it is otherwise surrounded by hostile forces and Western allies.
None of this justifies Iran’s violent actions or genocidal rhetoric, which serve both as deterrence and as a tool to rally domestic support. But understanding why Iran adopted this posture is crucial. Its leadership doesn’t act from irrational hatred alone — it operates from a deep historical memory of betrayal, beginning with British oil domination and crystallizing in 1953. To Israelis, this may sound like excuse-making. But it’s not. It’s strategy. And if Israel wants to counter Iran effectively — not just militarily, but diplomatically and psychologically — it must understand the roots of that threat. Deterrence alone won’t work; Iran’s actions are born from a conviction that survival requires resistance. Breaking that cycle demands more than force.
a bit of foreshadowing in there, but i tried to use language that will reduce the risk of being called a retard, snowflake or anti semite and what not.
This post was edited by ferdia on Jun 17 2025 10:53am