Things changed drastically in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, and the country transformed into an Islamic Republic, officially opposing Israel. Nonetheless, Iran and Israel continued to work together clandestinely, particularly during the Iran-Iraq War. Both nations saw the benefit of undermining Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, which posed a larger threat to their security. Israel provided arms to Iran, a move designed to weaken Iraq, despite the official US embargo on such military assistance.
