Decades of tension: Tracing the Iran-Israel conflict from 1979 to the brink of war in 2025

The escalating military conflict between Iran and Israel in 2025 is not an isolated flashpoint but the climax of more than four decades of deep-rooted animosity, shaped by ideological opposition, proxy battles, and nuclear ambitions.

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The friction began in 1979, following the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The overthrow of the pro-Western Shah and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini marked a dramatic shift in Iran’s foreign policy. Israel, once an ally, was denounced as a “Zionist regime,” and all diplomatic ties were severed. Iran began positioning itself as the champion of Palestinian resistance and started supporting armed groups opposed to Israel.

By the early 1980s, Iran had firmly embedded itself in the Lebanese conflict, sending Revolutionary Guard units to support the newly formed Hezbollah. This Iran-backed militia would soon become one of Israel's most persistent threats, particularly during the 2006 war, which ended inconclusively and left both sides claiming victory.

The 1990s saw attacks on Israeli targets abroad, including deadly bombings in Argentina linked to Iran-backed operatives. Meanwhile, inside Iran, its nuclear program quietly progressed, eventually drawing sharp criticism from Israel, which considered it an existential threat.

In the 2000s and 2010s, Israel intensified its efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Through a mix of cyber sabotage, including the infamous Stuxnet attack, and a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, Israel engaged in a shadow war that never made full headlines but escalated tensions year after year.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, offered a temporary thaw, but Israel vocally opposed it. The situation worsened when the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran resumed uranium enrichment, while Israel ramped up its regional intelligence and sabotage operations.

By 2024, the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, allegedly by Israeli operatives, was seen in Tehran as a red line crossed. Iran increased its military preparedness, and when Israel launched massive strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities in 2025, it triggered Iran’s largest retaliatory missile barrage in history.

Today, the crisis wobbles on the edge of a regional war. While international leaders urge restraint, both nations remain locked in a battle not just of territory or politics, but of identity, ideology, and survival.