The Israel Iran War
Accusation: Israel is accused of starting an unprovoked war with Iran and of dragging the United States into a dangerous conflict in the Middle East.
The Short Answer
Iran's regime has called for Israel's destruction since 1979. It built a nuclear program the UN watchdog cannot verify as peaceful, and it armed Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis to attack Israel.
In 2024 Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones directly at Israeli cities. Israel struck Iran to stop a regime that promises to annihilate it from getting the bomb.
A Regime Built on Hatred of Israel
Iran and Israel had friendly relations until the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Ayatollah Khomeini's new regime made “Death to Israel” a state slogan. His successor, Ali Khamenei, repeatedly called Israel a cancerous tumor that must be removed.
This is not only rhetoric. For decades Iran has funded and armed groups whose purpose is to kill Israelis. Read more about one of them: Hezbollah and Lebanon
The Ring of Fire
Iran built what it calls an axis of resistance around Israel. Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen all receive Iranian money, weapons or training.
After October 7, these groups attacked Israel from several fronts at once. The Houthis also fired on international shipping in the Red Sea.
The Nuclear Threat
Iran enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, far beyond what any civilian energy program needs and a short step from weapons grade. In June 2025 the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran in breach of its obligations for the first time in about twenty years.
Since then, inspectors have been largely shut out. The IAEA has said it cannot verify the fate of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated at about 440 kilograms before the strikes.
How the War Unfolded
In April 2024 Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel, with more than 300 drones and missiles. Israel, with help from the United States, Britain, France and Jordan, shot down almost all of them. In October 2024 Iran fired about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel.
In June 2025 Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear and missile sites. The United States joined by striking Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, and a ceasefire followed after twelve days.
In February 2026 the United States and Israel launched a joint campaign against Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure, in which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. The conflict has since continued in rounds, alongside ceasefires and negotiations.
The Iranian People Are Not the Enemy
Israel's fight is with the regime, not the Iranian people. Millions of Iranians have protested against their rulers, most famously in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement of 2022. Many of them reject the regime's obsession with Israel.
Key Facts
Iran's regime has called for Israel's destruction since 1979.
Iran enriched uranium to 60 percent, far above civilian needs.
Iran arms Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Houthis.
Iran attacked Israel directly with missiles and drones twice in 2024.
Israel targets the regime's military and nuclear sites, not the Iranian people.
How to Respond
Ask what any country would do if a regime promising to destroy it were close to a nuclear bomb.
Remind people that Iran attacked Israel directly first, in April 2024.
Point to Iran's proxies, which have attacked Israel on several fronts.
Separate the Iranian regime from the Iranian people.
Conclusion
Israel did not choose this war. It was forced on Israel by a regime that has sworn to destroy it for more than four decades. A nuclear armed Iran would threaten not only Israel but the whole region and the free world.