I. The Early Days – World War I and the Setup
Back in the early 1900s, during World War I, Britain was playing its usual power games. It wanted to break up the Ottoman Empire, so it started making promises to different groups, often behind closed doors.
One of the biggest deals was the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916. Britain and France basically sat down and decided who’d get what if they won the war. France was eyeing places like Syria and Lebanon, while Britain wanted control over Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other parts of the Middle East. Palestine? That was supposed to be kept under international control.
Then there was the deal with the Hashemite family—the same family that would later rule Jordan. The British promised them a chunk of Arab land if they helped take down the Ottomans. And they did. This made things easier for Britain, and harder for the Ottomans.
Oh, and let’s not forget the Balfour Declaration in 1917. Britain told the Zionist movement (the Jewish nationalist movement) that they supported creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine—as long as the Zionists didn’t support Germany in the war. It was a clever, strategic move by Britain to weaken the Ottoman alliance.
After the war, a lot changed. Germany lost, and anti-Jewish sentiment grew there. Some Germans blamed their Jewish communities for not helping enough during the war. This hate would later fuel the rise of Hitler. Fearing persecution, many Jews started moving to Palestine. Between 1919 and 1923, around 35,000 Jews arrived, laying the foundation for future conflict.
II. Israel Is Born, and Iran Isn’t Happy (1948)
Fast-forward to 1947. The United Nations decided to divide Palestine into two parts—one for Jews and one for Arabs. Even though Jews were the minority, they were given 62% of the land. On May 14, 1948, Israel officially became a country.
Iran wasn’t thrilled. In fact, it was among 13 countries (alongside Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, and a few others) that voted against the plan. Iran refused to recognize Israel and stood with the Arab world.
III. The Unexpected Friendship (1953–1979)
But things changed—quickly and strangely.
By the 1950s, the political winds shifted. The U.S. and Britain helped overthrow Iran’s elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953. Why? Because he tried to nationalize Iran’s oil. That didn’t sit well with Western powers. So they replaced him with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was much more aligned with the West.
And here’s where it gets weird: in the same year, Iran—despite its earlier opposition—recognized Israel. Yep, it became the second Muslim-majority country to do so (Turkey was the first).
Under the Shah, Iran and Israel became close—very close.
- Oil and Weapons: Iran sent oil to Israel. Israel sent weapons to Iran. At one point, 40% of Israel’s oil came from Iran.
- Military Projects: The two countries even worked on weapons together (like Project Flower). Iran gave Israel oil in exchange for tech.
- Intelligence Ties: Israel helped Iran build its secret police force, SAVAK.
- Pipeline Deal: They built the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline in 1968 to bypass the Suez Canal. Iranian oil could now flow to Israel and beyond.
- Even During War: During the Iran-Iraq War in the '80s, Israel secretly gave Iran hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons. Strange, but true.
So yeah, despite being an Islamic country, Iran was one of Israel’s strongest partners in the region.
IV. The Revolution That Changed Everything (1979–Now)
But not everyone in Iran was happy. The Shah was becoming unpopular. Many Iranians felt like he was too Western, too flashy, and too close to America and Israel. Religious groups in particular were angry. They believed the country’s culture and resources were being stolen.
Then came the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Led by Ayatollah Khomeini, the people rose up. The Shah fled. A new regime took over, rooted in Islamic values and deeply anti-Western.
One of their first moves? Cut all ties with Israel.
- They called Israel the “Little Satan”, and the U.S. the “Big Satan.”
- They claimed that Jews had been artificially placed in Palestine and didn’t belong there.
- They completely rejected Israel’s existence and went back to Iran’s earlier stance of non-recognition.
What made this worse (from Israel’s perspective) is that Iran had been an insider for years. It knew Israeli weapons systems, military techniques, and even intelligence models. That made Israel nervous. Iran, now its biggest critic, had once been its closest friend. That’s not just betrayal—that’s dangerous.
In Short…
Iran and Israel’s story is anything but simple. They started off on opposite sides, became secret allies for nearly 25 years, and then turned into open enemies after 1979. It’s a story shaped by war, politics, oil, religion, and broken promises. And even today, the ripple effects of those early decisions are still shaping the Middle East.
