Israel-Iran proxy conflict

Iran–Israel proxy conflict

Israel (Orange) and Iran (Dark Green) in the Middle East

Date

3 August 2005 – present
(11 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)

Location

Middle East

Status

Ongoing:

Iran reinforces Syria and Hezbollah.
Israel tries to prevent weapon transfers to Hezbollah.
2006 Lebanon war ends in military stalemate.
Beginning of Gaza–Israel conflict in June 2006.
Israel tries to stop Iranian nuclear program.
Iran grows a sphere of influence in the Middle East.

Belligerents

Iran

Israel

Proxies:

Hezbollah
Hamas (2006–2011)
PIJ
PFLP
(2013–present)

Proxies:

Supported by:

Syria
Sudan(Until 2015)

Supported by:

United States

Commanders and leaders

Ali Khamenei
(Supreme Leader of Iran)

Hassan Rouhani
(President of Iran)

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(2005-2013)

Hassan Nasrallah
(Secretary-General of Hezbollah)

Khaled Meshaal
(Hamas leader)

Benjamin Netanyahu
(Prime Minister of Israel)

Ehud Olmert (2006–2009)

Ongoing:

Iran

Israel

Proxies:

Supported by:

Supported by:

The Israel–Iran proxy conflict or Israeli–Iranian proxy war is the ongoing indirect conflict between Israel and Iran. The conflict is bound in the political struggle between Iranian leadership and Israel, with the counter aim of Israel to prevent alleged nuclear weapons from the Iranian government and downgrading its allies and proxies such as Hezbollah party in Lebanon. Iranian forces are operating in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad's government.

According to Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, "As long as the current regime exists, with the nuclear agreement or without it, Iran will continue to serve as the main threat to Israel's security".

Israel suspects Teheran is pursuing the goal of forming a continuous land bridge from Iran (through Iraq and Syria) to Lebanon, and if Tehran succeeds "it would be a strategic game-changer." In the Syrian Civil War, hoping to bolster its logistics and force projection capabilities in the area, Tehran aims to clear a path from the Iranian capital to Damascus and the Mediterranean coast.

Israel and Syria have observed a truce since Israel reaffirmed its control over most of the Golan Heights in the 1973 war, but the Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has led to several incidents of fire exchange across the once-peaceful borders. The Israeli military is reportedly preparing itself for potential threats should there be a power vacuum in Syria. "After Assad and after establishing or strengthening their foothold in Syria they are going to move and deflect their effort and attack Israel," an Israeli official told The Associated Press in January 2014. Some experts say that while the encroaching militant forces on Israel's border will heighten security measures, the advancements are not likely to create significant changes to Israel's policy disengagement in the Syria crisis.

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Wikipedia