What is the issue between Iran and Israel/ America? Iran's relation with Israel and USA.

Iran’s relationship with Israel and the United States has evolved dramatically over decades, shaped by ideological shifts, regional power struggles, and disputes over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Before 1979, Iran and Israel actually maintained friendly ties, as Iran was one of the first Muslim‑majority states to recognize Israel after 1948, and both countries cooperated strategically under the U.S.-backed Pahlavi monarchy. Iran fitted into Israel’s “periphery doctrine,” a strategy designed to build alliances with non‑Arab states to counter Arab hostility at the time. These relations collapsed after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when the monarchy was replaced by an Islamic republic led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The new regime adopted a strong anti‑Israel and anti‑U.S. ideology, severed ties with Israel, and began denouncing Israel’s control of Palestinian territories. Iran’s leaders, including Khomeini and later Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction.

Tensions worsened as Iran began supporting groups hostile to Israel, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. These groups form part of what Iran calls the “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of militant and political organizations opposed to Israel and the United States. The relationship further deteriorated over Iran’s nuclear program, which Iran insists is for peaceful purposes but which Israel views as an existential threat. Iran’s nuclear activities, begun decades earlier, became highly controversial when two covert facilities were exposed in 2002, triggering international pressure and oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program led to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement between Iran and major world powers to limit nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The United States withdrew from the deal in 2018, after which Iran resumed enriching uranium and restricted IAEA monitoring, alarming both Israel and the U.S. and heightening conflict in the region.

The Iran–Israel rivalry, once largely fought through proxies, turned into direct confrontation beginning in 2024. Israel conducted strikes on Iranian military officials and facilities, including an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, prompting Iran to respond with missile strikes on Israel. In 2025, Israel escalated with “Operation Rising Lion,” targeting Iran’s main uranium enrichment site in Natanz, ballistic missile infrastructure, and senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran retaliated with ballistic missile attacks on Israel and U.S. bases across the Middle East, expanding the confrontation beyond the Israel–Iran axis into a broader regional flashpoint.

The United States and Iran have been adversaries since 1979, when the Islamic Revolution replaced a pro‑U.S. monarchy with a government that defined its identity around opposition to American influence. Since then, the two countries have had no formal diplomatic relations, and the U.S. has frequently imposed sanctions targeting Iran’s economy, missile development, and support for militant groups. The U.S. considers Iran’s actions in the Middle East—including backing Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis—as destabilizing and hostile to U.S. partners. Meanwhile, Iran views the U.S. as a dominant power propelling Israeli military superiority and interfering in regional politics. Diplomatic efforts have been sporadic, with nuclear negotiations occurring intermittently, but military clashes and proxy attacks have been far more common, especially after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent escalation across the Middle East. By 2025–2026, tensions were at their highest in decades, leading to major U.S.-Israeli joint strikes inside Iran aimed at degrading its nuclear and military capabilities and preventing what the U.S. described as “imminent threats” from the Iranian regime. Iran’s response included firing ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases in Gulf states such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, signaling the depth of hostility and the broad geographical spread of the confrontation.

Also, another reason for US to not like Iran is, because Iran has deliberately shifted its foreign policy toward a “Look East” doctrine, deepening ties with Russia and China to counter U.S. sanctions and isolation. However, experts note that while Iran and Russia share strategic interests, their partnership is a strategic alignment rather than a binding commitment, meaning Iran gains political cover without giving up autonomy.

China has also become a major economic lifeline for Iran — buying over 80% of Iran’s shipped oil in 2025, mostly at discounted rates, helping Iran offset sanctions and stabilise its economy despite Western isolation.

This reduces the leverage of Western sanctions, making Iran less vulnerable to economic pressure intended to curb its nuclear or regional activities.

Further, following increased Western sanctions and the June 2025 Israel–Iran conflict, Iran intensified its shift toward Eastern partners, especially Russia, China, and India. At the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Iran expanded diplomatic outreach to all three powers, signaling its commitment to embed itself in an East‑led geopolitical architecture.

Iran’s foreign minister held meetings with Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, China’s Wang Yi, India’s S. Jaishankar, and briefly with Xi Jinping—showing Tehran’s coordinated, multi-power engagement strategy within the same forum. These meetings reinforced Iran’s move to strengthen trade, logistics, infrastructure, and strategic coordination with these Eurasian partners.

Major Key terms:

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC):

A powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces responsible for protecting the Islamic Republic. It plays a major role in Iran’s regional operations and supports various militant groups aligned with Iranian interests.

Axis of Resistance:

An Iran-led network of militant groups and states that oppose Israel and U.S. presence in the Middle East. This includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Syrian government (in earlier years), and Houthi forces in Yemen.

Hezbollah:

A Lebanese Shiite militant and political organization founded in the 1980s with Iranian backing. It has fought multiple conflicts with Israel and is considered Iran’s strongest regional proxy.

Hamas:

A Palestinian Islamist militant group governing Gaza. Iran has provided financial and military support, especially as Hamas confronts Israel.

Nuclear Enrichment / Iran’s Nuclear Program:

Refers to Iran’s efforts to produce enriched uranium, which can fuel nuclear power plants but, at higher levels, can be used in nuclear weapons. Hidden facilities discovered in 2002 increased global suspicion.

JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action):

A 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 (U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) to restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The U.S. withdrew in 2018, which worsened relations and triggered Iran's renewed nuclear buildup.

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency):

The UN’s nuclear watchdog responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities. Iran reduced cooperation with the IAEA after 2018, increasing concerns about hidden nuclear work.

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