It Wasn't Always This Way: The Forgotten Friendship Between Iran And Israel

For many around the world, the Iran-Israel relationship is defined by decades of hostility, threats, and war. Yet, it wasn't always this way. Before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran was a modern, thriving nation with complex but cooperative ties to Israel. 

Today, as Israel targets the Iranian regime's nuclear and military infrastructure, many Iranians--both inside the country and in exile--are quietly hopeful these strikes might help bring an end to their government's oppressive rule and open the door to a freer future.

Under the Shah's rule, Iran was an economic powerhouse in the Middle East. It had a secular government, modern infrastructure, and pragmatic ties with Israel, including intelligence sharing and covert cooperation. The Iranian people experienced relative openness and progress--a stark contrast to the rigid theocracy that followed. When the Islamic Republic seized power, it reversed course drastically, embracing an ideology that vilified Israel and imposed brutal repression at home.

Now, after more than four decades of ideological hostility, war threats, and nuclear brinkmanship, Israeli strikes against Iran's nuclear sites and military leaders--particularly those in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)--have sparked a complex reaction among Iranians worldwide.

Many Iranian Americans and expatriate activists strongly support Israel's decisive actions. Amir Hamidi, a prominent Iranian American advocate, argues that after years of failed diplomacy and international hesitation, Israel had no choice but to act out of necessity to prevent a larger, more devastating conflict. The regime in Tehran, he says, has long provoked hostilities that imperil not just its neighbors but its own people.

Within Iran, ordinary citizens have endured crushing economic hardship and brutal crackdowns on dissent. As Andrew Ghalili, a policy analyst focused on Iran, explains, the Iranian people want jobs, dignity, and peace--not missiles flying over their cities. They blame Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for refusing to dismantle the nuclear program and for recklessly provoking war. Across Iran's streets, ballot boxes, and social media, resistance to the regime has been persistent and courageous for years.

For many, Israel's targeting of the IRGC's leaders--responsible for violent suppression of protests, including the shooting of demonstrators and horrific abuses--has been met with quiet relief and even gratitude. Iranian American activist Tony Hosseini expresses appreciation for Israel's strikes against those who have "the blood of innocent compatriots" on their hands.

In Europe, Iranian activists report friends and family celebrating Israel's strikes in private, viewing Israel not as an enemy but as one of the few allies standing against their oppressors. The lack of support from Western nations for Iran's protestors has only amplified this sentiment.

Jewish Iranian communities in the diaspora, still haunted by the revolution's anti-Semitic violence, also back Israel's preemptive attacks. They know well the regime's entrenched hatred for Israel and the way it uses propaganda to control its Jewish minority. Yet, they remain hopeful that weakening the regime's military machine could eventually help topple a government responsible for decades of misery.

But what are the chances for real change? The Iranian regime is undeniably vulnerable--plagued by economic sanctions, internal dissent, and now military setbacks. Israel's precise strikes aim to cripple the IRGC's grip on power, potentially sparking further fractures within the regime.

Yet, the regime has survived through ruthless repression and by leveraging external threats to justify internal control. The road ahead is fraught with danger, and any escalation risks more suffering for ordinary Iranians.

Still, the hope among activists is that Israel's actions may embolden the Iranian people, hastening the fall of a regime that has stolen their freedoms for too long. If successful, this could usher in a new era of peace, modernization, and perhaps even renewed relations between Iran and Israel--hearkening back to a time when cooperation, not conflict, defined their ties.

It wasn't always this way. The Iran-Israel relationship has been hijacked by ideology and power struggles, but the resilience of the Iranian people and the courage of those seeking freedom remind us that history can change.