What happened?
On April 1, 2024, Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time in its history, using drones and missiles. This was retaliation for an earlier attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, where senior commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard were killed. Although Israel did not officially acknowledge the attack, it is widely assumed that it was involved.
Why are they enemies?
The relationship between these countries was not always hostile. Until the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the two were allies. However, following the rise of the new Iranian regime, opposition to Israel became a central pillar of its ideology. Iran does not recognize Israel's existence and seeks its destruction, while Israel views Iran as an existential threat, in part due to its nuclear program and its support for groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.