Israel v Iran

How their conflict shapes the Middle East

JERUSALEM The low-boil conflict between Israel and Iran has shaped the Middle East for decades.

Of the many conflicts that have roiled the region, theirs has long been among the most explosive.

The two have attacked each other mostly quietly and, in Iran's case, often by proxy - while avoiding an escalation into direct war.

The conflict entered a dangerous new phase with the outbreak of the current war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which Iran supports.

That fight has drawn in other Iran-backed militant groups as well as Iran itself.

Tensions increased after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in July while visiting Iran, presumably by Israel.

Then in late September, Israeli forces assassinated the leader of Hezbollah, Iran's most prized regional ally, and moved into southern Lebanon as part of a campaign against the militia.

On Oct 1, Iran fired about 200 missiles directly at the country in a major escalation. In retaliation, Israel began air strikes on targets across Iran in the early hours of Oct 26.

Q Why are Israel and Iran enemies?

A Israel and Iran were allies starting in the 1950s during the reign of Iran's last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, but the friendship abruptly ended with the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979.

The country's new leaders adopted a strong anti-Israel stance, decrying the Jewish state as an imperialist power in the Middle East.

Iran has supported groups that regularly fight Israel, notably Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels, all of which the US considers terrorist organisations.

Israel regards Iran's potential to build nuclear weapons as a threat to its existence and is thought to be behind a campaign of sabotage against the country's atomic programme.