The Post-Revolutionary Israeli-Iranian Rivalry and Iran's Nuclear Program

Abstract

There were big changes in the Middle East after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The rebels were against Israel. Tel Aviv had a good relationship with Tehran until 1979, but it was hostile towards its Arab neighbours because of a longstanding desire to rule the area. In times of change, Israel has grown afraid as Iran's power has grown. Israel is against Islam and Muslims. A lack of balance of power in the area and Iran's desire for nuclear weapons have made Iran and Israel compete with each other. A lot of Israelis think that Iran's nuclear project is a threat to their very survival and that it needs to be stopped. This piece talks about the bad feelings between Iran and Israel, the risks that could come from Iran having nuclear weapons, and different ways to get Iran to give up its nuclear programme. The piece is divided into four parts. The first part talks about the history of relations between Iran and Israel and why they are at odds with each other. The second part briefly explains how the division of power in the region led to a direct war between Tehran and Tel Aviv. The third part talks about Iran's nuclear project and the threats it makes against Israel. The last part talks about current plans for sanctions against Iran to get it to give up its nuclear weapons.