Israeli-Iranian Alliance In 80s?

[Meshakhad]

Is there any possibility that Israel could have forged an alliance with Iran in the 1980s? True, Iranian rhetoric was strongly anti-Israel, but they did have an enemy in common - Iraq. My thinking is that Israel quietly approaches Iran, offering military assistance in the Iran-Iraq war in exchange for diplomatic recognition, perhaps with the ultimate aim of using Iranian airbases for the raid on the Osirak reactor.

Getting this to happen might have required a prior change, so I'd like to propose two possibilities:

1. A breakdown in Israeli-Iranian relations in the late 1970s, during the last years of the Shah's rule. Israel is quick to recognize Khomeni's government as legitimate.

2. Overt hostilities between Israel and Iraq in the 1980s - maybe the PLO flees to Iraq instead of Lebanon following Black September.

Doing so would have angered the US, but with the US supporting Iraq, a declared enemy of Israel, I could see the Israelis deciding to go ahead and piss off Washington. The Israeli-Iranian alliance might have broken down eventually, or perhaps it could have endured.

 

[TheNerd_]

Israel could have forged an alliance with Iran

That would have been one hell of a twist. But I don't know. Depending on your viewpoint towards Israel (A puppet of the US or somehow the place where all of the global elite come from) it could happen.

 

[kernals12]

When pigs fly

 

[steamboy]

To do so would require ASB. The words 'mutual hatred and loathing' does not come within 400 parsecs of being anywhere close to the hatred those two countries had and still pretty much do have for one another.

 

[mottajack]

Excepts if the 1979 revolution never happens, of course. The Shah and Israel got a brief honeymoon in the mid-70's...

Well, even after the revolution, before bombing Osirak in June 1981, Israel asked Iran to do the dirty job for them. And in October 1980, Iranian Phantoms bombed the reactors, although not very successfully...

 

[arctic warrior]

Excepts if the 1979 revolution never happens, of course. The Shah and Israel got a brief honeymoon in the mid-70's...

Well, even after the revolution, before bombing Osirak in June 1981, Israel asked Iran to do the dirty job for them. And in October 1980, Iranian Phantoms bombed the reactors, although not very successfully...

I was told at some time that the Israelies helped the Iranians at least with agricultural issues - dates the size of apples! Don't know if it went any further. Though I wouldn't be surprised. After all Israel have a knack for lending a hand that will repay in some form even if it seems unlikely - Uganda before Amin - apartheit South Africa - China. But of course its old dusty stuff.

 

[walmart]

In OTL Israel did supply Iran
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel's_role_in_the_Iran–Iraq_war

 

[CountDVB]

By the time of the 1980s, definitely not.

You’d have to go earlier.

Maybe if the coup against Mossadegh was averted, then I could see it happening. A secular though still Shia Iran would be opposing Saudi Arabia, at least as economic rivals, which would push them with Israel closer

 

[Seandineen]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. David brin called it.

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

Is there any possibility that Israel could have forged an alliance with Iran in the 1980s? True, Iranian rhetoric was strongly anti-Israel, but they did have an enemy in common - Iraq. My thinking is that Israel quietly approaches Iran, offering military assistance in the Iran-Iraq war in exchange for diplomatic recognition, perhaps with the ultimate aim of using Iranian airbases for the raid on the Osirak reactor.

Getting this to happen might have required a prior change, so I'd like to propose two possibilities:

1. A breakdown in Israeli-Iranian relations in the late 1970s, during the last years of the Shah's rule. Israel is quick to recognize Khomeni's government as legitimate.

2. Overt hostilities between Israel and Iraq in the 1980s - maybe the PLO flees to Iraq instead of Lebanon following Black September.

Doing so would have angered the US, but with the US supporting Iraq, a declared enemy of Israel, I could see the Israelis deciding to go ahead and piss off Washington. The Israeli-Iranian alliance might have broken down eventually, or perhaps it could have endured.

Hezbollah is strangled in the crib by Syria/Amal. With Iran's proxies off Israel's doorstep and no Syrian-Iranian convergence, the two likely retain their loose cooperation against their mutual Baathist enemies.

 

[Khanzeer]

No diplomatic recognition but quiet cooperation definitely
More Arm supplies to Iran than otl
Iran as mentioned above makes Shiites cooperate with Israel to pacify Palestinians

 

[arctic warrior]

In OTL Israel did supply Iran
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel's_role_in_the_Iran–Iraq_war

He-he, didn't look that one up.. the real world is such an ATL where logic doesn't take first place!

 

[mottajack]

(impersonating The lion king Uncle Scar blase voice) you have no idea...

Israel and Iran at some point in history had ongoing cooperation in ballistic missiles. No kidding ! There is a wikipedia entry about it - i think it was in the era of the Shah.

"project flower"

 

[LordKalvan]

(impersonating The lion king Uncle Scar blase voice) you have no idea...

Israel and Iran at some point in history had ongoing cooperation in ballistic missiles. No kidding ! There is a wikipedia entry about it - i think it was in the era of the Shah.

"project flower"

The name of the joint project was Flowers of the Desert, and it was developed in the Negev. It was discontinued after the revolution.
During the Iran-Iraq war, Israel supplied spare parts and ammunition to Iran, it was an open secret

 

[Mort the Reaper]

He-he, didn't look that one up.. the real world is such an ATL where logic doesn't take first place!

As quite a few writers have noted, the difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense.

 

[Spens1]

The Theocrats don't come into power in Iran and we see Iran transition into being a reasonably liberal democracy.

Saudi Arabia start acting erratic (much like OTL) and start posing a threat towards both nations and we already know about Iraq and Saddam, thus becoming allies of neccesity in a volitile Middle East.

 

[NHBL]

As long as the hostage crisis happen as in OTL, Israel can't go too far. They depend on American popular support and the influence of lobbyists is the USA. I suspect that that support will be severely curtailed if the general population of the USA sees Israel as openly supporting an enemy.

Now if the hostage crisis falls out differently, with a successful Eagle Claw bringing about the fall of the regime in Iran, all bets are off.

Since I'm working on a 1970's and beyond timeline, I'll be watching this.

 

[Meshakhad]

As long as the hostage crisis happen as in OTL, Israel can't go too far. They depend on American popular support and the influence of lobbyists is the USA. I suspect that that support will be severely curtailed if the general population of the USA sees Israel as openly supporting an enemy.

Now if the hostage crisis falls out differently, with a successful Eagle Claw bringing about the fall of the regime in Iran, all bets are off.

Since I'm working on a 1970's and beyond timeline, I'll be watching this.

What if Israel successfully negotiated for the release of the hostages (offering Iran military aid, perhaps)?

 

[Khanzeer]

^ Oman has more chance of doing that than Israelis the revolutionary Iranians even offered the Israeli embassy to PLO , they were in no mood to talk to Israel openly or had any problem with bad relations wrt USA.For these ideologes this was a badge of honor atleast that's what was part of their public appeal

Imho only cooperation possible is covert and it can be a lot more than in otl
As revolutionary as khomeni was he was also a iranian nationalist and understood geopolitics better than most religious leaders

 

[Kishan]

Even in future there is a chance for Iran-Israel co-operation and even an alliance. A change of regime in Iran will surely accelerate it. In fact it is the unethical dependence of USA on Saudi Arabia that prevents the natural friendship that should develop with Iran. Saudi Arabia is the home of terrorist ideology of Wahabism and the terrorist funding Oil Billionaires. If Islamic terrorism is to be wiped out Saudi Arabia should be reined in. For Israel the real enemies are the Sunni Arab states mostly led by the ultra conservative, feudal Saudi Royals. If Israel is a Jewish island in a Sunni Arab sea, so is Iran, a Shia island surrounded by Sunni states. Hence a friendship between Israel and Iran, in similar situation is quite natural, but for the dependence of USA on Saudi Royal House.