Why Does Iran Want To Attack Israel? Unpacking The Complex Regional Conflict

Lilly Reichel 20 Jun 2025

The Middle East, a region perpetually on edge, has once again been gripped by escalating tensions, bringing the long-simmering animosity between Iran and Israel to a perilous boiling point. For decades, these two regional powers have engaged in a clandestine struggle, often through proxies, but recent events have pushed them to the brink of direct, overt confrontation. Understanding why Iran might want to attack Israel requires delving deep into a complex web of historical grievances, ideological clashes, strategic ambitions, and immediate provocations. It's a multifaceted question with profound implications not just for the Middle East, but for global stability, impacting various strategic interests for nations like the United States.

The current heightened state of alert, underscored by recent direct exchanges of fire, has amplified fears of a wider regional conflagration. From the halls of Washington to the streets of Tehran and Tel Aviv, the question of "why does Iran want to attack Israel" looms large, demanding a comprehensive examination of the underlying factors driving this dangerous dynamic. It's a narrative shaped by perceived existential threats, a battle for regional influence, and a cycle of retaliation that threatens to engulf the entire Middle East.

A Deep-Rooted Antagonism: Understanding the Historical Context
- The Genesis of Mistrust: From Allies to Adversaries
- Proxy Warfare: A Shadow Conflict Unfolds
Iran's Strategic Calculus: Motivations Beyond Retaliation
- Regional Hegemony and the "Axis of Resistance"
- The Nuclear Question: A Persistent Point of Contention
The Gaza War and its Ripple Effects: A Catalyst for Escalation
The Damascus Consulate Strike: A Direct Provocation
Israel's Perspective: An Existential Threat
The Looming Specter of a Region-Wide War
Iran's Resilience and Retaliatory Doctrine
Navigating the Future: De-escalation or Further Conflict?

A Deep-Rooted Antagonism: Understanding the Historical Context

To truly grasp why Iran wants to attack Israel, one must first appreciate the historical trajectory that transformed two once-friendly nations into bitter adversaries. This isn't a conflict born overnight but rather the culmination of decades of shifting geopolitical alliances, ideological transformations, and a relentless struggle for influence in a volatile region.

The Genesis of Mistrust: From Allies to Adversaries

Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran under the Shah was one of Israel's few non-Arab allies in the Middle East, a relationship underpinned by shared strategic interests, particularly concerning Arab nationalism. However, the revolution fundamentally altered Iran's foreign policy, transforming it into an Islamic Republic with a revolutionary ideology that explicitly opposed Israel's existence. The new Iranian leadership viewed Israel as an illegitimate "Zionist entity" and an outpost of Western imperialism in the heart of the Islamic world. This ideological shift laid the groundwork for the enduring animosity, cementing Israel's place as a primary target in Iran's revolutionary foreign policy. This deep-seated ideological opposition is a foundational element in understanding why Iran wants to attack Israel, moving beyond mere political grievances to an existential one.

Proxy Warfare: A Shadow Conflict Unfolds

For many years, the conflict between Iran and Israel remained largely a shadow war, fought through proxies and covert operations rather than direct military engagement. Israel, for its part, has long been cautious of Iran, viewing it as an existential threat, and the two countries have taken discreet action against one another through proxies and espionage. Iran developed and supported a network of non-state actors, often referred to as the "Axis of Resistance," including Hezbollah in Lebanon, various Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, and Palestinian groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iran also supports Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that led the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the current war. This strategy allowed Iran to project power and exert pressure on Israel without direct confrontation, minimizing the risk of a full-scale war. For Iran, supporting these groups is not just about solidarity with the Palestinian cause but also about creating a strategic deterrent against Israel and expanding its regional influence. This long history of proxy warfare is a crucial backdrop to understanding the current direct escalations and why Iran wants to attack Israel directly when its proxies are perceived to be insufficient or when it feels directly provoked.

Iran's Strategic Calculus: Motivations Beyond Retaliation

While immediate provocations often trigger specific attacks, Iran's broader motivations for confronting Israel are rooted in a long-term strategic calculus aimed at securing its regional standing and protecting its revolutionary principles. This goes beyond simple tit-for-tat exchanges and speaks to a deeper ambition.

Regional Hegemony and the "Axis of Resistance"

Iran sees itself as a leading power in the Middle East, and its confrontation with Israel is part of a larger strategy to assert regional hegemony and challenge the existing U.S.-led security architecture. The "Axis of Resistance" is not merely a collection of proxies but a strategic alliance designed to counter U.S. and Israeli influence. By supporting groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran seeks to keep Israel preoccupied on multiple fronts, preventing it from fully projecting its power and potentially undermining its security. This strategy also serves to rally support among populations disillusioned with Western policies and perceived Israeli aggression, bolstering Iran's image as a defender of Islamic and Arab causes. The continuous pressure on Israel, often through these proxies, is a fundamental reason why Iran wants to attack Israel, albeit often indirectly, as it serves its larger geopolitical aims.

The Nuclear Question: A Persistent Point of Contention

A persistent and deeply concerning aspect of the Iran-Israel rivalry is the issue of Iran's nuclear program. Israel believes Iran is a threat to its security despite Iran’s insistence that it doesn’t want nuclear weapons. From Israel's perspective, a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat, capable of wiping out the Jewish state. This fear has driven Israel to take covert actions against Iranian nuclear facilities and scientists. Iran, for its part, maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, though it has consistently enriched uranium beyond levels suitable for civilian use and restricted international inspections. The development of ballistic missiles, capable of delivering a potential nuclear warhead, further exacerbates Israeli fears. That's why Israel has targeted nuclear sites and also the industry of the ballistic missiles that Iran developed. This ongoing tension over nuclear capabilities is a primary driver of why Iran wants to attack Israel, as it views Israel's actions against its nuclear program as acts of aggression demanding a response, and potentially as a justification for its own nuclear ambitions as a deterrent.

The Gaza War and its Ripple Effects: A Catalyst for Escalation

The current conflict in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's devastating Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has dramatically accelerated the direct confrontation between Iran and Israel. The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas led an attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages. As mentioned, Iran also supports Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that led the Oct. 7 attack. While Iran denies direct involvement in planning the Oct. 7 attack, its long-standing support for Hamas places it squarely within the narrative of the current conflict. The immense human cost of the war, which Gaza health authorities say has killed more than 33,000, has fueled outrage across the Muslim world, creating a fertile ground for Iranian rhetoric and action. The latest attack, which comes just before the start of the Jewish high holy days, threatens to push the Middle East closer to a region-wide war. For Iran, the Gaza conflict presents an opportunity to demonstrate its solidarity with the Palestinian cause, rally support among its regional allies, and further destabilize Israel. The intensity of the Israeli response in Gaza has likely pushed Iran to consider more direct actions, believing that inaction would undermine its credibility as the leader of the "Axis of Resistance." This immediate context is critical in understanding why Iran wants to attack Israel now, as the Gaza war has shifted the regional calculus and raised the stakes significantly.

The Damascus Consulate Strike: A Direct Provocation

While the broader motivations for why Iran wants to attack Israel are rooted in ideology and strategy, the immediate trigger for Iran's unprecedented direct missile and drone attack on Israel in April 2024 was a specific Israeli airstrike. On the surface, Iran’s Saturday missile and drone attack on Israel was a response to the Israelis’ airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in Damascus two weeks ago that killed at least seven members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two senior generals. This strike was a significant escalation, as it targeted Iranian military leadership in what Iran considered sovereign territory (its consulate). For Iran, this was an unacceptable breach of international law and a direct assault on its national sovereignty and military leadership. The need to respond decisively was paramount to maintain deterrence and project strength, both domestically and regionally. Failure to retaliate would have been perceived as a sign of weakness, emboldening Israel to conduct further such operations. This direct provocation, therefore, provided the immediate and undeniable justification for Iran's direct military response, showcasing a shift from proxy warfare to direct engagement when its red lines are crossed.

Israel's Perspective: An Existential Threat

It's impossible to discuss why Iran wants to attack Israel without also acknowledging Israel's perspective and its own motivations for actions against Iran. Israel has been contemplating an attack like this for two decades, viewing Iran as its most formidable and ideological adversary. Israel believes Iran is a threat to its security despite Iran’s insistence that it doesn’t want nuclear weapons. This perception of an existential threat is not merely rhetorical; it is deeply ingrained in Israel's strategic planning. Israel's actions, such as targeting Iranian nuclear sites and ballistic missile industries, are framed as pre-emptive or defensive measures against a perceived future threat. The assessment in the security establishment is that this was the right and necessary moment to strike — before Iran has rebuilt defenses destroyed in Israel’s far less dramatic attack last. This suggests a strategic calculus on Israel's part to degrade Iran's capabilities and prevent it from becoming a more potent threat. Israel has vowed to retaliate against Iran for any direct attacks, creating a dangerous cycle of escalation where each side justifies its actions as responses to the other's aggression. What is behind Israel’s decision to attack Iran often stems from this deep-seated fear and a proactive approach to neutralizing threats.

The Looming Specter of a Region-Wide War

The tit-for-tat exchanges between Iran and Israel carry significant implications for the entire Middle East and beyond. A potential war between Israel and Iran holds significant implications for the United States, impacting various strategic interests in the region and beyond. The U.S. has a strong presence in the Persian Gulf and a vested interest in the stability of global energy markets. The big fear is Iran starts striking targets in the Persian Gulf, which could disrupt oil supplies and send shockwaves through the global economy. President Biden himself has acknowledged the gravity of the situation. On Friday, Biden was asked how imminent a potential attack on Israel is, to which he responded, "I don't want to get into secure information, but my expectation [is] sooner than later." This statement underscores the high level of concern among international powers about the potential for a full-blown regional conflict. Such a war would not only devastate the immediate combatants but could also draw in other regional actors and global powers, creating an unpredictable and catastrophic scenario. This shared concern about regional stability adds another layer of complexity to the question of why Iran wants to attack Israel, as its actions are viewed through the lens of their broader destabilizing potential.

Iran's Resilience and Retaliatory Doctrine

Despite facing significant pressure and repeated attacks, Iran has demonstrated a remarkable degree of resilience and a clear doctrine of retaliation. Iran has now withstood three days of Israeli attacks, which have killed more than 240 Iranians, including several members of its military leadership. But its own response has been to hit back in various ways, sometimes directly, sometimes through its proxies. This "hit back" strategy is central to Iran's deterrence posture. It aims to convey that any attack on Iranian interests or personnel will not go unpunished, thereby discouraging further aggression. This doctrine is not merely about revenge but about maintaining credibility and demonstrating capability. The fact that Iran launched a direct missile and drone attack on Israel, rather than solely relying on proxies, indicates a willingness to escalate when it feels its core interests or sovereignty are directly threatened. This shift signals a new phase in the conflict, where the rules of engagement are being redefined, and both sides are more willing to risk direct confrontation. This retaliatory nature is a key part of why Iran wants to attack Israel, as it sees these actions as necessary responses to perceived Israeli aggression and as a means to deter future attacks.

Navigating the Future: De-escalation or Further Conflict?

The current trajectory of Iran-Israel relations is fraught with peril. The question of "why was last night different from every other night" encapsulates the heightened anxiety surrounding each new escalation. The direct exchange of fire marks a dangerous precedent, moving beyond the shadow war into overt military confrontation. As the Bush administration learned in Iraq, wars of choice can have unforeseen and devastating consequences. Some analysts argue that Israel’s attack on Iran launched a war of choice that did not need to happen, at least not now, in the midst of U.S. efforts to de-escalate. The challenge for international diplomacy is immense: how to de-escalate a conflict fueled by decades of animosity, ideological opposition, and a cycle of retaliation. Both Iran and Israel operate from positions of deep mistrust and perceived existential threats, making compromise difficult. The path forward will require not only diplomatic efforts but also a clear understanding of each side's red lines and a commitment to preventing miscalculation that could trigger a catastrophic regional war. The international community, particularly the United States, plays a crucial role in mediating and de-escalating, given the significant implications a wider conflict would have on global stability and economic interests.

Conclusion

The question of why Iran wants to attack Israel is not reducible to a single cause but is a complex interplay of historical grievances, ideological imperatives, strategic ambitions, and immediate provocations. From its revolutionary opposition to Israel's existence and its long-standing support for the "Axis of Resistance," to its nuclear program and the recent direct retaliations for strikes on its assets, Iran's motivations are deeply rooted. It views Israel as an extension of Western influence, a regional rival, and a direct threat to its security and revolutionary ideals. Each action, whether through proxies or direct military force, is part of a calculated strategy to assert its power, deter aggression, and ultimately reshape the regional order. As tensions remain at an all-time high, understanding these multifaceted motivations is crucial for anyone seeking to comprehend the volatile dynamics of the Middle East and the urgent need for de-escalation. The implications of this conflict extend far beyond the immediate combatants, threatening to draw in global powers and destabilize an already fragile region.

What are your thoughts on the intricate relationship between Iran and Israel? Do you believe a full-scale regional war is inevitable, or can diplomacy still prevail? Share your perspectives in the comments below, and explore our other articles on Middle Eastern geopolitics for more in-depth analysis.

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