The role of Israel in Iran's foreign policy in the light of selected cases

This study examines the relationship between Iran and Israel, two states with an ancient history and influence in the Middle East region, in the light of selected cases. Until 1979, Iran and Israel had common global and regional threats and the two countries developed friendship and cooperation. However, with the revolution in 1979, Iran's perception of Israel changed completely. From this point on, the new Iranian regime started to criticize the State of Israel and said that it should be eliminated from the region. From this period onwards, Iran-Israel relations shifted to the category of enemy states. During the Iran-Iraq War, bilateral relations softened for a while after Israel provided Iran with military weapons and ammunition. The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 and Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War eliminated the common threats of the two countries. Having lost their common threat perception, the two states have been in competition with each other in the region since then. After 2000, there have been many regional events that have affected Iran-Israel relations. The September 11 events, the Arab Spring, and the Syrian Civil War ushered in a new era in Iran-Israel relations. The two states have tended to restrict each other's territories by sending troops, military equipment and economic aid to the regions of conflict, rather than by confronting each other in one-on-one conflicts. Today's Iran-Israel relations are based on the tension over the nuclear program.