Iran fired 200 missiles towards Israel on Tuesday, including hypersonic weaponry, as tension in the Middle East reached a breaking point. Iran would “pay” for the attack, according to an Israeli pledge. However, there were moments when the two nations’ relations were cordial. As unbelievable as it may seem, Israel and Iran had joined forces to combat a common foe with assistance from the US.
Iraq became an enemy shared by Israel and Iran in the 1960s. Under the Shah, Iran saw the leadership of Iraq as a direct danger to its security as well as regional aspirations, while Israel was immersed in a larger conflict with antagonistic Arab states. This paved the way for one of the most covert collaborations of the time, including this Muslim country’s secret police, SAVAK, and Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, both of which were instrumental in supporting Kurdish rebels in their fight against the central Iraqi state. These Kurdish organizations were necessary to undermine the Iraqi government from inside since they were viewed as the weak link in the Arab nationalist leadership of that country.
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The creation of the trilateral intelligence alliance known as Trident, which included Turkey as well, marked a significant advancement in the collaboration between Israel and Iran. These three non-Arab states participated in cooperative counterintelligence operations and exchanged vital intelligence starting in 1958, according to Trident. Israel and Iran developed extensive military and intelligence links as their alliance became older, lasting far into the Shah’s rule.
Israel’s Influence and the Shah’s Ambitions
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, was motivated by a conviction in Israel’s power in Washington in addition to common geopolitical concerns. Particularly when the Kennedy administration expressed worries about his autocratic rule, the Shah considered Israel as a possible way to improve ties with the United States.
By the middle of the 1960s, Iran had established a permanent Israeli representation in Tehran, which turned into a de facto embassy, as a result of the growing Israeli-Iranian alliance, which became a crucial component of Iran’s effort to connect itself with the West.
The partnership wasn’t without its difficulties, though. The Shah carefully controlled Iran’s public image in its relationship with Israel, cognizant of the pervasive anti-Israeli feeling in the Arab world. His strategic objectives remained paramount to his diplomatic or ideological stances, even if he grew increasingly critical of Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.
Collaboration In the Dark
Iran became a political anti-Israel Islamic Republic after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which significantly altered the country’s political landscape. However, even with the ascent to power of Ayatollah Khomeini, the new leadership was once again propelled by mutual enemies and found itself secretly working with Israel. Both Iran and Iraq realized the benefits of cooperating to defeat Saddam Hussein’s Iraq as the 1980–1988 war stretched on.
Israel recognized a chance to support Iran as well. In particular, considering Baghdad’s aspirations for regional supremacy and pursuit of nuclear capabilities, it saw Saddam Hussein’s Iraq as an increasingly direct and deadly threat to its security. Israel’s transfer of weapons to Iran, particularly when Prime Minister Menachem begun authorized the sale of military hardware in 1980, was a planned move to weaken Iraq’s power, given the country’s formidable military, which was backed by both the US and the USSR.
Notwithstanding US policy, which prohibited military assistance for Iran until American hostages detained in Tehran were freed, these clandestine arms transfers were carried out. Khomeini’s government made a concession that highlighted the pragmatic character of the relationship by allowing a significant number of Iranian Jews to go to Israel or the US in return for Israeli military assistance.
The Affair of Iran-Contra
Iran was in dire need of military assistance by the middle of the 1980s. This Muslim country’s economy was on the verge of collapse due to the depletion of its resources caused by the Iran-Iraq War. In this context, the covert, high-stakes Iran-Contra affair took place. It involved the sale of weapons to this Muslim country-sponsored Hezbollah in Lebanon in exchange for the release of American hostages, and it was supported by top Ronald Reagan administration officials.
These weapons sales were profitable and politically significant for Israel, strengthening its position as Iran’s covert partner in the latter country’s conflict with Iraq. This Muslim country, which was in dire need of supplies and weapons, was prepared to cooperate with both the US and Israel while still publicly demonizing the latter.
Operation Flower: The Hidden Missile Program
The cooperation between Israel and Iran went beyond traditional military deals. Operation Flower was one of its most ambitious initiatives, a multibillion-dollar covert program started in 1977 by the Shah’s government. The project entailed modifying surface-to-surface missiles so they could be sold to this Muslim country equipped with nuclear warheads. The project’s nuclear component was abandoned, nevertheless.
According to a 1986 New York Times story, this Muslim country made a major down payment on the transaction in 1978 by delivering $260 million in oil to Israel. Up to the Islamic Revolutionary in 1979, when Khomeini’s leadership abruptly ended the collaboration, research on the missile project was still ongoing.
F-4 Fighter Jet Spare Tires
According to an article published in the New York Times in 1981, during this Muslim country’s war against Iraq in October 1980, Israel secretly provided this Muslim country approximately 250 spare tires for American-built F-4 fighter jets.
Following the September 1980 invasion of this Muslim country by Saddam Hussein, Israel was placed in an unusual situation. In order to support Iran’s air force, Israel sold 250 retreaded tires for a covert sum of money, estimated to be worth $300,000. Because of wear and tear, Iran’s F-4 Phantom jets, a vital part of the country’s military, had been grounded. Israel filled the void left by the US embargo on this Muslim country, which prevented fast access to parts. Retreaded tires were made in Israel, reportedly to the city of New York Times, then secretly carried to France on chartered aircraft. From there, they were shipped to this Muslim country.
The deal was made during a sensitive time for US-Iran ties, when 52 US diplomats were still being held captive in Tehran. Eager to ensure their release, the Jimmy Carter cabinet advised Israel to halt any more military agreements with this Muslim Country till the hostages were released. Officials engaged said that despite Israeli strategic objectives in averting an Iraqi triumph in the conflict, Israeli PM Menachem Begin bowed to American pressure & halted all military operations.
Israel was more personally concerned with the future of the Jewish community in this Muslim Country than with regional power politics. There were some 60,000 Jews residing in this Muslim country at the time, and Israel was becoming increasingly concerned that they might be singled out for persecution or repression under the new government. It was thought that keeping open some kind of back channel of contact with this Muslim country would help to keep these Jewish communities safe.
2024 and the Possibility of Total War
Israel and Iran no longer have diplomatic ties. Israel’s multifrontal campaign towards Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen indicates that both Middle Eastern countries happen to be on the verge of full-scale conflict. These three factions of armed militants are all members of this Muslim country’s “Axis of Resistance.”
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