Five decades of Israeli covert strategy to push US, Iran into confrontation
For over five decades, successive Israeli governments have employed a complex web of tactics to undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving regional conflicts or managing tension between Washington and Tehran. This enduring pattern has been shaped by the country’s strategic objectives, including preserving a state of confrontation with its arch-nemesis.
The logic underpinning this approach emerged during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), when Israeli strategic thinking prioritized preventing either Iran or Iraq from securing a decisive victory or ending the conflict. This mindset has persisted throughout Israel’s history, influencing diplomatic efforts to manage US-Iran differences.
One notable example is the 1991 release of Western hostages in Lebanon, which appeared to offer an opportunity for modest conflict management between Washington and Tehran. However, this initiative ultimately went unrealized due to Israeli foiling aspects of the negotiated framework. This pattern has repeated itself over the years, with successive Israeli governments consistently undermining diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving regional conflicts.
The 2003 removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein altered the regional balance but did not diminish Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. Since then, debates over Iran’s nuclear activities have dominated discussions between Washington and Tehran, often displacing earlier conversations on broader regional security issues.
Israel has consistently produced intelligence to prevent the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN Security Council from 2004 to 2012 and again in recent years. This approach has been driven by a desire to preserve a state of confrontation with Washington, while opposing diplomatic initiatives that could weaken Israel’s leverage in shaping US Middle East policy.
The JCPOA agreement between Washington and Tehran in 2015 was seen as the most significant period of diplomatic engagement between the two countries since 1979. However, Israeli leaders have repeatedly viewed this agreement as a prelude to the United States’ “pivot to Asia” strategy, which they see as undermining their security interests.
The withdrawal from the JCPOA by the Trump administration in 2018 marked a significant escalation of regional deterrence dynamics. The US strike that killed General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 further escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In recent years, Israeli officials have accused American officials of contributing to an increasingly confrontational policy trajectory, including unilateral actions such as the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. This has raised concerns within the US administration about becoming committed to a wider regional conflict under circumstances that it does not fully control.
The ongoing negotiations surrounding the 2026 memorandum in Islamabad illustrate how these historical dynamics continue to shape regional diplomacy. Public disagreements over the agreement have extended beyond the negotiations themselves, with senior officials in both Washington and Tehran accusing outside actors of attempting to undermine political support for the agreement.
In conclusion, attempts to manage tensions between Washington and Tehran have repeatedly unfolded within a broader strategic contest shaped by repeated US failures to honour its commitments and regional actors’ profoundly different conceptions of what constitutes stability in the Middle East. Understanding this context is essential if future diplomatic initiatives are to avoid the fate of previous efforts.
Based on reporting from Al Jazeera.
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