BUFFALO, N.Y. — A cold war has been taking place between Israel and Iran for decades. The modern conflict between the two Middle Eastern countries can be traced all the way back to 1948, when the state of Israel was created.
Since then, there have been several major conflicts, and after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran became a revolutionary state with a mission to change the status quo in the Middle East. This led to an eight-year war between Iran and Iraq.
The conflicts don’t end there. Most recently, we have seen the impact of the Israel-Hamas War.
“But in the interest of time, let’s say the last one was the one that was initiated on October 7. That is still with us in some shape and form. Despite the fragile ceasefire that has been, you know, announced between the two sides,” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, at Missouri State University of Science and Technology.
A lot of the history of conflict between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries can be broken down to a difference in ideology and a desire for border control. Groups like Hezbollah and Hamas were supported by Iran with both money and weaponry, and the groups were thought to be a type of religious guerrilla to better organize and implement Muslim practices in the region.
“Iran and Iraq are two countries that have been engulfed in wars with Israel without having common borders with it. So for it, for the Iranians, it really became more of an ideological issue. But they presented themselves as sort of guardians of the Muslim world, the Arab world, and the Palestinians in particular, and therefore they took on upon themselves the role of being a big brother,” Boroujerdi said.
When it comes to finding a solution, it depends on who you ask. Those who support regime change would want the war to continue until the mission is accomplished. Those who do not want to put an end to this war as soon as possible.