From Brotherhood to Battlefield: How Iran's Ally Turned Into Israel's Greatest Fear

International News: In the decades before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran and Israel enjoyed a surprisingly warm alliance. Despite Iran being a Muslim-majority country and Israel a Jewish state, strategic interests brought them together. Both nations saw Arab nationalism, especially under Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, as a common threat. This led to covert intelligence collaboration and military cooperation. Iran’s SAVAK agents were trained by Israel’s Mossad, creating an intelligence synergy rarely seen between non-Arab and Jewish nations.

A Friendship Forged in Secrecy

Under the Shah of Iran, Tehran supplied Israel with crucial oil exports, bypassing regional Arab boycotts. Israeli engineers and defense experts worked with Iranian officials on sensitive military projects. Most notably, the two nations were developing a joint missile program named "Project Flower." It involved sharing missile designs and technology that could one day defend both countries from common adversaries. The partnership ran deep, yet largely remained under the radar of the global diplomatic community.

Shared Missiles, Shared Ambitions

The turning point came in 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah. Overnight, Iran's foreign policy reversed course. Israel was now labeled the "Little Satan," and the U.S. the "Great Satan." The new theocratic regime saw Israel not as an ally, but a Zionist occupier of Muslim land. Diplomatic ties were cut, and anti-Israel rhetoric became central to Iran’s ideological identity. Support for Palestinian resistance movements, especially Hezbollah and Hamas, grew rapidly.

A Revolution That Changed Everything

Iran’s growing regional influence—particularly in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza—sparked alarm in Tel Aviv. In response, Israel began conducting covert operations and intelligence warfare targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and military assets. Cyberattacks like Stuxnet and targeted assassinations of Iranian scientists escalated the hostility. What once was intelligence sharing turned into intelligence warfare.

From Covert Partners to Cyber Enemies

Today, Iran and Israel are entrenched in a proxy conflict spanning from Lebanon to Syria to the Red Sea. The former missile partners are now preparing for potential direct confrontation. With Iran enriching uranium at unprecedented levels and Israel vowing not to allow Tehran to go nuclear, the former allies now find themselves one spark away from open war.

On the Brink of Direct Conflict

For decades, Iran and Israel have fought each other through spies, sabotage, and proxy militias. But now, that cold war is turning dangerously hot. Recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian assets in Syria and Iran’s aggressive drone campaigns have pushed tensions to the edge. Both sides accuse each other of crossing red lines, and diplomacy has nearly collapsed. Iran’s growing alliance with Hezbollah and Hamas fuels Israeli fears of encirclement. On the other hand, Israel’s ties with Arab states are seen in Tehran as a regional threat. With every new skirmish, the countdown to a direct military clash seems to accelerate.