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Short answer
When Israeli flags appear at some Iranian anti regime protests, it may seem surprising at first. But the history between the two countries explains it.
Between 1948 and 1979, Israel and Iran had close cooperation. They traded openly, shared intelligence, and worked together in agriculture, water management, and energy. Israeli experts helped develop irrigation and farming projects in Iran, and in 1968 the two countries built the Eilat Ashkelon pipeline to move Iranian oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
The hostility Israelis face today began only after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the new regime cut relations with Israel, gave the Israeli embassy in Tehran to the PLO, and began supporting groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Israeli flags at anti regime protests show rejection of the Islamic regime, while some protesters remember Israel as a former partner and see the possibility of a different future for Iran.
Long answer
When Israeli flags appear at some Iranian anti-regime protests, it may seem surprising at first. But the history between the two countries explains why. From Israel’s founding in 1948 until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Israel and Iran maintained extensive cooperation. Under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the two countries shared strategic interests and developed diplomatic, economic, and security ties.
They traded openly and cooperated in agriculture, water management, medicine, and energy. Israeli engineers helped develop irrigation and water infrastructure projects in Iran, and Israeli agronomists assisted agricultural modernization programs. Israeli companies operated openly in Tehran and other cities. Iran also became one of Israel’s main oil suppliers.
In 1968, the two countries built the Eilat Ashkelon pipeline, designed to transport Iranian oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and onward to European markets. The partnership reflected a broader regional strategy in which non-Arab states such as Iran and Turkey maintained practical relations with Israel.
The hostility Israelis face today began only after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The new Islamic Republic immediately cut relations with Israel and handed the Israeli embassy in Tehran to the Palestine Liberation Organization. Opposition to Israel became a central ideological pillar of the regime. Over time, Iran’s government began funding and arming anti-Israel groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all dedicated to the elimination of Israel. Seen in this context, Israeli flags at some Iranian anti-regime protests are not surprising. They reflect the memory of a period when Israel and Iran had normal relations and practical cooperation. For many Iranians, hostility toward Israel is seen as the ideology of the Islamic Republic, not a natural conflict between the two peoples. Waving the Israeli flag is a way to reject the regime’s narrative and signal support for a different future in which Iran returns to normal relations with the outside world.
