Iran-Israel War: Background, Outcome and Consequences

Abstract

The author attempted to trace the background, outcome, and consequences of the war between Iran and Israel, which can be described as unexpected but expected. The Iran-Israel war in the summer of 2025 was the most acute, armed form of permanent conflict between these countries, which has lasted for over 45 years. Even before coming to power, Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder and first leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), criticized the State of Israel in his articles and speeches, arguing that its existence was illegal and unacceptable, and that its destruction was necessary. This concept has become the core of the state ideology of Iran – Khomeinism or neo-Shiism. There are three distinct stages of confrontation between the two countries. The first was the end of the 80s of the twentieth century, characterized by propaganda confrontation. The second, 2003–2024, saw Iran’s nuclear program become the primary factor, and both sides moved toward more active subversive actions. The third stage, from 2024 to the present, is characterized by direct armed conflict. The Iran-Israel conflict has taken various forms over the course of more than four decades: from information wars, proxy wars, and cyberwars to the “hot” war of 2025. The Iran-Israel war had its own unique characteristics, the most important of which were the distance between the warring parties, the absence of a line of contact, the impossibility of using ground forces, and the priority given to missile forces and drones, as well as human and space intelligence. Thus, the summer of 2025 marked the “moment of truth” for Iran, when the country’s future fate are being resolved.