West Asia war and consequences
Iran and Israel are both located in the Middle East. Iran lies on the coast of the Persian Gulf, while Israel is situated on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Iran shares borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey. Israel shares borders with Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. The distance between the two countries is at least a thousand kilometers. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran severed diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel is a democratic country with an executive Prime Minister, whereas Iran is a limited democracy with a religious Supreme Leader and an elected President. In terms of area, population, and defense spending, Iran has its larger shares. Israel possesses atomic weapons, while Iran, supposedly, is on the same path.
Israel is the only Jewish-majority country in the world, and Iran is a Shia-majority Islamic country. Iran is a major producer of petroleum products. Strategically important in the Middle East and rest of the world, these two nations have been enemies since 1979.
Following an Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, which led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, Defense Minister, and other high-ranking officials, both countries have been attacking each other using missiles and drones and it continues to these days. Neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq have suffered directly. Iran has attacked them using missiles targeting airports and oil refineries. The United States is supporting Israel, while Russia is helping Iran.
Due to this war, Iran has blocked a major maritime pathway, the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a limited supply of major petroleum products and causing price hikes in the global market.
Iranian regime and Israel
Iran has two heads of state: an elected president and a Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader is the highest authority, selected by a body of clerics for eight years, while the president is elected directly by citizens for a four-year term. However, the Guardian Council, headed by the Supreme Leader, supervises the qualifications of candidates for president and parliament. The Supreme Leader, who is the actual head of the country, is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He controls the judiciary and appoints the heads of key state bodies, including the Guardian Council, a hardline-dominated watchdog that vets all candidates for public office.
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the Shah (King). During that period, Iranian society was open to the world and had close ties with the US and Western countries based on mutual trust and cooperation. At that time, Western countries had huge influence and investment in Iranian petroleum and other sectors. A law passed in 1950 protected and encouraged foreign investors, leading to massive growth. However, many Iranians felt foreign companies exploited Iran’s resources. Economic inequality and foreign influence contributed to public anger, which led to the Islamic Revolution.
After the revolution, Iran moved toward an autocratic regime under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Relations with the United States and Western countries deteriorated, many foreign companies left, and industries were nationalized. As a result, Iran became isolated and suffered economic blockade from Western powers that continues to this day.After the revolution, Iran has adopted conservative policies and values. There has been mass suppression of opponents and the general public after the revolution, and women’s position in society has been undermined.
Israel was established in 1948 after World War II. The USA and the UK played important roles in its formation. At the time, Israel faced war from Arab countries but succeeded in protecting its sovereignty. Iran has been attacking Israel either directly or indirectly. Hamas is a proxy organization funded by Iran and active in Palestine, and another proxy militia organization is active in Lebanon. Iran uses these proxies for indirect attacks on Israel. Iran sees Israel as its enemy and calls it the ‘Little Satan’.
The Israel lobby in the US
The diplomatic ties between the USA and Israel are strong. Jewish society holds strong positions in politics, science and technology and economic development like banking, trade, and industry. Scientists from Albert Einstein to Oppenheimer were Jewish. The Israeli diaspora in the US also exerts strong weight on the US government to act in Israel’s favor. The formation of Israel was carried out tactically with the help of the US and the UK after World War II. Many congressmen in the US also lobby in favor of Israel. The US is a Christian-majority country, and Jerusalem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ, making Israel a holy place for US citizens. All of this indicates that the US has a strong relationship with Israel, and the US government has always supported Israel. The American-Israeli relationship finds a special bond based on shared strategic interests and diplomatic relations also provide advanced military technology, and security aid for defense.
Iran-Israel crisis
The Iranian Islamic Revolution brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his revolutionaries in power. Iran scrapped all previous agreements with Israel. Khomeini began fierce criticism of Israel for its occupation of Palestinian territories. Gradually, Iran adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric toward Israel, aiming to win the favor of regional Arab states and their citizens or at least to expand its regional influences.
When Israel sent troops into South Lebanon in 1982 to intervene in the country’s civil war, Khomeini also dispatched Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Beirut to support local Shia militias. Khomeini and the entire Iranian leadership have repeatedly questioned and denied the Holocaust.
Before the 1979 revolution, Iran and Israel had close diplomatic relations, and there were daily flights from Tehran to Tel Aviv. It is believed that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had connections with various anti-Shah opposition groups before 1979 and Iranian revolutionary militias trained in PLO camps in places like Lebanon. After the revolution, Khomeini became a strong supporter of Palestine and ‘handed over’ the Israeli embassy in Tehran to the PLO. Over time, Iran’s support shifted more toward Islamist Palestinian groups like Hamas rather than the largely secular PLO leadership. Indeed, as an Islamic Republic, Iran officially rejects Israel’s existence and has completely broken diplomatic ties. Iran backs proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, providing them with resources and these groups have attacked Israeli territory.
Iran wants to expand its influence in the Middle East, while Israel tries to halt that. It reflects that both countries are competing for regional power. Israel is attacking to destroy Iran’s nuclear programs and plants. After Feb 28, Iran has attacked countries in West Asia such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. However, these countries have not provided their territories to the US and Israel against Iran. Iran has blocked and halted the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for West Asia to supply petroleum products. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s supply passes through this chokepoint located between Iran and Oman.
Consequences of a war
Due to Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz and the drone and missile attacks on the chain of petroleum product and supply by both countries, the supply of petroleum products has been adversely affected. As a result, the prices of petroleum products are skyrocketing. The price linkage with other commodities is also gradually increasing. South and East Asian countries are facing an energy crisis.
Another impact of this war has been massive humanitarian damage and destruction of physical infrastructure and development. There has been intense aerial bombardment, damaging nuclear facilities, power plants, fuel refineries, and sanitation systems.
Iranian proxies such as the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah are likely engaging directly, drawing neighboring countries into the conflict, and the region is becoming highly unstable. West Asia is a region of employment for South and East Asian people; due to this war, many people face the threat of losing their jobs and security situation. Iran’s Supreme Leader, high-level leaders, and security officials have been killed in this war. Innocent school students and people in Iran, Israel, and other countries have also been killed. The conflict is accompanied or preceded by massive cyberattacks and government-imposed internet blackouts to control information.
Due to the impact of this war, a weakened Iran could lead to a shift in regional power dynamics in favor of Israel and its neighbors, which may lead to the collapse of the current Iranian regime.
Nepal is also facing several impacts from this war. Around two million people working in the Gulf region and Israel are facing threats of losing jobs and security. Nepal has suspended work permits for countries like Iran, Israel, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Nepal’s economy is based on tourism, but due to this war, the number of tourists coming to Nepal is declining, and direct flights to West Asia are disrupted. The price of petroleum products is rising, leading to higher levels of inflation in every economic sector. Foreign employment is the main source of remittances, so the inflow of remittances has also been adversely affected. If the situation in West Asia deteriorates continuously, we may have to rescue our citizens, which would be a major challenge for us. All of this shows that Nepal and the Nepali people are facing huge challenges.
Conclusion
Israel and Iran became enemies after the Islamic Revolution. Iran officially denies the existence of Israel. Iran supports proxy organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah by providing financial and other resources. The counter attack by Hamas in 2022 in Israel, and Israel’s reactive attack, were disastrous resulting in the loss of huge numbers of human lives, including Nepali students, and massive destruction of physical infrastructure.
Nepal was the first country in South Asia to officially recognize Israel in 1960. The Israeli government has been providing scholarships to Nepali students for higher education. Israel is a decent employer for Nepali citizens.
Iran has isolated itself from the rest of the region and the world. Due to a decades-long economic blockade, Iran’s economy is suffering from inflation, unemployment, and mass dissatisfaction. Israel is at a turning point in its history; this war is seen as a war of existence. Therefore, due to its adverse internal situation, Israel started this war and wants it to reach a logical end.
A protracted war comes with huge economic, physical and humanitarian costs attached. So, countries like India, China, Egypt, Turkey, Germany, and France must take the initiative to stop the war and call for an immediate ceasefire. Iran must also compromise and come to the dialogue table with the United States and Israel, either indirectly or directly. Only multilateral and bilateral dialogue can solve these problems peacefully. Iran must change its stance of non-recognition of Israel, a country located far from Iran and also review its regime. Only an elected civilian government can solve the country’s problems. Iran must be ready to correct its wrong policies and stances, including stopping funding to proxy organizations.
