Iran–Israel proxy conflict

Iran–Israel proxy conflict
	Part of the post–Cold War era, the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, and the Iran–Turkey proxy conflict
	; Israel (orange) and Iran (green) shown within the Middle East
Date	16 February 1985 – present; (40 years, 4 months and 2 days)
Location	Various (primarily Middle East)
Status	Ongoing: Iran reinforces Syria and Hezbollah; Israel tries to prevent weapon transfers to Hezbollah; 2006 Lebanon War ends in military stalemate and Israeli withdrawal; Beginning of the ongoing Gaza–Israel conflict in June 2006; Israel tries to stop the Iranian nuclear program; Iran grows major spheres of influence in the Middle East; Formation of the Arab–Israeli alliance; Iran provides munitions to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip; Escalation to a direct conflict between the two countries in 2024 and since 2025;
Belligerents
Iran; Proxies: Hezbollah ; Hamas (2006–2011; 2017–present) ; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) (2013–present) ; Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) ; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP–GC) (2013–present) ; Sabireen Movement ; Houthis ; Popular Mobilization Forces ; National Defence Forces (until 2024) ; Islamic Resistance in Iraq ; Liwa Fatemiyoun ; Husseiniyoun ; Liwa Zainebiyoun ; ; Al-Ashtar Brigades ; Support: Syria (until 2024) ;	Israel; Proxies: South Lebanon Army (until 2000) ; National Council of Resistance of Iran ; Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria ; Fursan al-Joulan (2013–19) ; Popular Forces of Palestine (2023–) ; Kurdistan Freedom Party (2025–) ; Support: United States ; United Kingdom ; France ; Jordan ; Palestinian Authority ;
Commanders and leaders
Ali Khamenei; (Supreme Leader of Iran, 1989–present); Masoud Pezeshkian; (President of Iran, 2024–present); Mohammad Mokhber (briefly in 2024); Ebrahim Raisi; (2021–2024); Hassan Rouhani; (2013–2021); Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; (2005-2013); Naim Qassem; (Secretary-General of Hezbollah, 2024–present); Hassan Nasrallah X; (Secretary-General of Hezbollah, 1992–2024); Yahya Sinwar †; (Hamas leader, August–October 2024); Ismail Haniyeh X; (Hamas leader, 2017–2024); Khaled Mashal; (Hamas leader, 1996–2017); Ahmad Sa'adat; (PFLP Leader); Ziyad al-Nakhalah; (PIJ Leader)	Benjamin Netanyahu ; (Prime Minister of Israel, 1996–1999; 2009–2021; 2022–present); Ehud Barak ; (1999–2001); Ariel Sharon ; (2001–2006); Ehud Olmert ; (2006–2009); Naftali Bennett ; (2021–2022); Yair Lapid ; (2022); Yasser Abu Shabab ; (Leader of the Popular Forces, 2023-present) ; Antoine Lahad ; (Leader of the South Lebanon Army until 2000)

The Iran–Israel proxy conflict, also known as the Iran–Israel proxy war or Iran–Israel Cold War, is an ongoing proxy conflict between Iran and Israel. In the Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Iran has supported Lebanese Shia militias, most notably Hezbollah. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran has backed Palestinian groups such as Hamas. Israel has supported Iranian rebels, such as the People's Mujahedin of Iran, conducted airstrikes against Iranian allies in Syria and assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists. In 2018 Israeli forces directly attacked Iranian forces in Syria.

Motivated by the periphery doctrine, Imperial Iran and Israel had close relations, seeing Arab powers as a common threat. After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran cut off relations, but covert ties continued during the subsequent Iran–Iraq War. Iran trained and armed Hezbollah to resist the Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and continued to back Shia militias throughout the Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon. Even before 1979, Iranian Islamists had materially supported the Palestinians; after 1979 Iran attempted relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and later with Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Israel fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel has fought several wars with Palestinians in and around the Gaza Strip: in 2008–2009, 2012, 2014, 2021 and since 2023. The 1982 Lebanon War and Gaza war have been the deadliest wars of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

Various reasons have been given for the Iran–Israel conflict. Iran and Israel had previously enjoyed warm ties due to common threats, but by the 1990s the USSR had dissolved and Iraq had been weakened. Iranian Islamists have long championed the Palestinian people, whom they perceive as oppressed. Scholars believe that by supporting the Palestinians, Iran seeks greater acceptance among Sunnis and Arabs, both of whom dominate the Middle East. At times, Iran has supported the one-state and the two-state solution as a response to the plight of Palestinians, while the country has also used more inflammatory language to predict Israel's demise. Israel sees Iran as an existential threat. Israel has accused Iran of harboring genocidal intentions, while Iran has accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza. Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.