Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran has enshrined the destruction of Israel as a central pillar of its foreign and security policy. This immutable ideological commitment, institutionalized at every level of the Iranian regime and repeatedly affirmed by its leaders, continues to drive Iranian regional ambitions. Tehran’s actions have a direct impact on Israeli security strategy, forcing Israel to grapple with the threat posed not only by Iran but also by a constellation of Iranian-backed militias and terrorist networks across the Middle East.
The Iranian Regime’s Anti-Israel Doctrine
Immediately after the Islamic Republic was established, state rhetoric and law codified the opposition to Israel’s existence. Ayatollah Khomeini, and subsequently Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have consistently branded Israel as an illegitimate entity and declared its destruction a non-negotiable objective. State institutions, educational curricula, and public discourse in Iran reinforce anti-Zionism as a unifying cause, projecting Iran as the self-professed champion of opposition to Israel across the Muslim world.
Iran’s hostility transcends verbal threats, forming the basis of a comprehensive and aggressive strategy in the region. Tehran’s support for armed groups—above all, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the Houthis in Yemen—has created an ‘axis of resistance’ aimed at encircling Israel and destabilizing its borders. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), especially its Quds Force, orchestrates financing, arms shipments, operational planning, and training, giving these proxy groups the tools to wage ongoing campaigns of violence against Israeli civilians and military targets.
Proxy Warfare and Regional Destabilization
Of Iran’s proxies, Hezbollah stands out as the most powerful. With a vast arsenal—believed by Israeli and Western intelligence to exceed 150,000 rockets—Hezbollah poses an existential threat to Israel’s north. It maintains deep entrenchment in civilian areas in Lebanon, increasing the probability of mass casualties in any renewed conflict and complicating Israel’s response options.
In Gaza, Hamas—empowered, trained, and armed by Iran—engineered the October 7, 2023, massacre: the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. The assault killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers, involved systematic acts of brutality, and triggered a state of total war. Evidence from intelligence agencies confirms Iranian involvement in the operation’s planning and execution, including the supply of weaponry and operational expertise. The model of asymmetric warfare involving tunnel infrastructure, rocket volleys, and psychological operations reflects Tehran’s doctrine for its proxies: inflict maximum civilian harm while sheltering behind local populations.
Beyond the immediate arena, Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq as well as the Houthi movement in Yemen threaten regional security. The Houthis have demonstrated an increasing ability to target global maritime trade and Israeli infrastructure with Iranian drone and missile technology. Iranian financial and material aid continues to flow to these groups despite international sanctions, facilitated by illicit networks and sanctioned state entities such as the IRGC.
Israel’s Security Doctrine and Military Innovation
Confronted by this threat architecture, Israel has adapted its defense policies along several core axes:
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Intelligence Superiority: Israeli agencies maintain extensive intelligence networks, monitoring Iranian activity across the Middle East. Preemptive strikes in Syria, targeted interdiction of arms shipments, and covert operations form the backbone of Israel’s approach to keeping existential threats in check.
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Multi-Tiered Air Defense: The Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems provide Israel with comprehensive missile and rocket interception capability. These technologies, updated regularly to counter emerging Iranian advances in drone and cruise warfare, have saved innumerable civilian lives and protected vital national infrastructure.
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Preparedness for Multi-Front War: The IDF is structured for rapid mobilization and conducts regular exercises simulating high-intensity conflict on several fronts simultaneously—including the possibility of Hezbollah assaults from Lebanon, large-scale rocket barrages from Gaza, and terrorist incursions backed by Iran’s network of militias.
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Offensive Measures Abroad: While generally keeping details classified, Israeli officials have alluded to sabotage campaigns targeting Iran’s nuclear program and IRGC logistics. High-profile events, such as the Stuxnet cyberattack and the targeted killings of IRGC officers associated with illicit weapons programs, underscore Israel’s determination to operate proactively beyond its borders.
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Strategic and Diplomatic Partnerships: The Abraham Accords have fostered open collaboration between Israel and key Sunni Arab nations, providing an emergent regional counterweight to Iranian ambition. Strategic defense and intelligence cooperation sessions with the United States and European partners deepen Israel’s ability to respond to Iranian-sponsored acts of terror and destabilization.
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Technological Edge: Israeli innovation extends from air defense to cyber warfare, AI-driven surveillance, and advanced offensive capabilities. The IDF and allied intelligence organizations harness this technological advantage to disrupt Iranian networks and blunt the impact of conventional and unconventional threats.
Nuclear Escalation: An Enduring Red Line
Among all dangers posed by Iran, the nuclear issue looms largest. Iranian enrichment of uranium to near-weapons grade, development of advanced centrifuges, and refusal to grant inspectors unfettered access raise the specter of a rapid nuclear breakout. Israeli leaders, supported by intelligence assessments, view this prospect as an existential calamity. While advocating for stringent monitoring and sustained sanctions, Israel consistently reiterates that preventive military action remains under serious consideration should all other efforts fail.
The Moral Dimension: Disproportionate Threats and International Discourse
One of Israel’s persistent challenges is the misrepresentation of its security imperatives as equivalent to, or even more culpable than, the crimes of terror organizations. In the hostage crisis following the October 7 attack, more than 100 civilians remain captive in Gaza. Israel faces global pressure to consider exchanges—effectively trading innocent victims for convicted terrorists, many jailed for direct involvement in murder or attacks on unarmed civilians. This forced equivalence in the international arena undermines moral and legal clarity, while rewarding Iran’s proxy strategy of leveraging human suffering.
Despite these pressures, Israel goes to considerable lengths to minimize civilian casualties—including advanced warning to noncombatants and the establishment of humanitarian corridors, even as Hamas and Iranian proxies exploit civilians as shields. The sharp contrast in military doctrines—one rooted in the defense of a sovereign nation, the other explicitly devoted to genocidal aims—should, but often does not, shape the global narrative.
A Regionwide Struggle and Global Stakes
Iranian influence stretches well beyond the Levant. The IRGC’s operatives plot attacks and assassinations in Europe, North America, and the Gulf. Cyber-attacks attributed to Iranian groups have targeted critical civilian infrastructure in Israel and elsewhere. Policy debates in global institutions often reveal efforts by Iran to avoid accountability, while sanctions and enforcement measures are diluted by geopolitical rivalries.
Yet there are indications of shifting alignments. Sunni Arab states increasingly view Iran, not Israel, as the principal disruptive power. U.S. and European security establishments have intensified intelligence sharing. Moves to designate the IRGC as a terrorist entity in some Western jurisdictions point to growing recognition of the Iranian threat architecture. However, divisions persist, and international unity in countering Iran often evaporates in face of competing national interests and diplomatic fatigue.
Conclusion: Israel’s Urgent Security Mandate
With Iran’s commitment to Israel’s destruction undiminished and its regional proxies emboldened, Israel’s security posture must remain proactive and innovative. This imperative drives investment in next-generation defense, intelligence operations spanning the Middle East, and alliances both in the region and globally to contain Iran’s ambitions. The events of October 7 and subsequent threats underline the vital necessity of Israeli preparedness, clarity of purpose, and moral confidence. The stakes are existential—not only for Israel, but for the wider region and the principles of sovereignty and self-defense that underlie international stability.
