Iran–Israel conflict
Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Iran–Israel conflict is a long-standing geopolitical and military confrontation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel, involving proxy hostilities since 1985 and direct clashes since 2024.[1][2]
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| Iran–Israel conflict | |||||||
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| Part of Middle East conflicts and the Arab–Israeli conflict | |||||||
Location of Iran (green) and Israel (orange) | |||||||
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Background
Iran and Israel became adversaries following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when Iran severed ties on 18 February 1979 and adopted an openly hostile stance toward Israel. Over the following decades, the rivalry expanded through proxy forces and regional influence campaigns, including Iran's support for Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as its nuclear program and ballistic missile development.[3][4]
Proxy conflict (1985–present)
The conflict involved indirect clashes between Israel and Iran-backed forces in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza Strip, and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian positions.[1][2]
Direct conflict (2024–present)
2024 conflict
Direct confrontations included missile and drone exchanges, Israeli bombings of Iranian targets in Syria and Iranian retaliatory attacks on Israeli territory.[5]
In April, both Israeli strikes against Iran and Iranian strikes against Israel started, respectively.[6][7] In July, assassinations of both Fuad Shukr and Ismail Haniyeh were conducted by Israel.[8][9] In October, Iranian strikes on Israel started, with Israeli strikes on Iran.[10]
2025 Twelve-Day War
In June 2025, a brief war known as the Twelve-Day War involved Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities and a ceasefire brokered afterwards.[5]
2026 Iran war
In late February 2026, after the breakdown of US–Iran negotiations, Israel and the United States conducted coordinated military operations against Iranian targets. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israeli territory, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.[11][12]
See also
- Middle Eastern crisis – List of Middle Eastern conflicts since 1914
- Arab–Israeli conflict – Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East
- Israel–Jordan relations § 2010–present
- Israeli–Lebanese conflict – Conflict involving Israel and Lebanon-based paramilitary groups
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict – Ongoing military and political conflict in West Asia
- Gaza–Israel conflict – Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Gaza war – Ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East
- Gaza genocide – Ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip
- Gaza war – Ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East
- List of massacres in Palestine after the 1948 Palestine war
- Gaza–Israel conflict – Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present) – Period of escalations in the Middle East
- Egypt–Israel relations § Regional realignment
- Hezbollah–Israel conflict (2023–present)
- 2024 Lebanon war – Israeli military operation against Lebanon
- 2026 Lebanon war – Ongoing conflict in the Middle East
- Arab–Israeli conflict – Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East
- Operation True Promise
