Iran–Palestine relations

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The Islamic Republic regime of Iran (established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution) Iran favors Palestinian national ambitions and officially endorses the replacement of Israel with a unitary Palestinian state. However, Iran has also stated its willingness to accept a two-state solution if the Palestinians find this acceptable. [ [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3042d2cc-3c3e-11db-9c97-0000779e2340.html FT.com / In depth - Iran ‘accepts two-state answer’ in Mideast ] ] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/17/AR2006061700727.html In 2003, U.S. Spurned Iran's Offer of Dialogue ] ]

Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and instead regards it as Palestine under occupation. During the era of the Iranian Republic (1948-1979) under the Pahlavi Dynasty, Iran enjoyed cordial relations with Israel. Israel regarded Iran, a non-Arab power on the periphery of the Arab world, as a natural ally and counterweight to Arab ambitions as part of David Ben-Gurion's alliance of the periphery. Even after the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini's public condemnations of the "Zionist entity", Israel shipped arms to Iran for use against Iraq, which it regarded as the greater threat. Iran suggests that all Israeli occupied territory is either given back to their respective countries (ex. Golan Heights back to Syria, and the "Israeli Security Zone" to Lebanon) or is replaced with a Palestinian state. Iran also feels that Jerusalem should be given back to the Palestinians, although this may cause problems for the Iranian-Shiites because most Palestinians are Sunni (some are Christian too).

See also

* Iran-Israel relations

References