Over four decades, the confrontation between Iran and Israel has shifted from indirect warfare to open exchanges.
What began in the early 1980s with Iran’s IRGC helping build Hezbollah into a durable anti-Israel proxy expanded into global attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in the 1990s, large-scale rocket warfare from Lebanon in 2006, and a steady Syria-front pressure campaign in the late 2010s.
By the 2020s, the conflict broadened into maritime strikes and multi-front proxy fire from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq—before culminating in 2024 with Iran’s first major direct missile-and-drone barrages on Israeli territory.
The chronology below summarizes key, widely reported incidents—distinguishing between direct Iranian action and proxy attacks or contested attributions.
1980s
1982–1985 (Lebanon): Iran builds a proxy war capability against Israel via Hezbollah.
Iran’s IRGC presence in Lebanon and the rise of Hezbollah created a long-term platform for attacks on Israel (rockets, raids, terrorism). (This is the strategic “practical step,” even if individual attack dates vary by source.)
1992
Mar 17, 1992 (Buenos Aires): Bombing of the Israeli Embassy (attributed to Iran/Hezbollah in later legal/prosecutorial findings).
Not in Israel’s territory, but it is a major attack on an Israeli state target with responsibility often attributed to Hezbollah acting for Iran.
1994
Jul 18, 1994 (Buenos Aires): AMIA Jewish center bombing (attributed to Hezbollah with Iranian support; Iran denies).
2000s
2006 (Israel–Hezbollah War): Hezbollah conducts large-scale rocket attacks into Israel.
This is widely understood as proxy warfare by an Iran-backed actor (financed/armed/trained via IRGC-QF over time).
2010s (Syria-front proxy/fire incidents become frequent)
May 10, 2018 (Golan Heights): Rockets fired at Israel from Syria; Israel says Iranian forces were responsible; Israel retaliates heavily.
Sep 9, 2019 (Syria): Israeli military says Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias fired rockets toward Israel (fell short).
Nov 19–20, 2019 (Syria): Israel says rockets were fired toward Israel; Israel strikes Iranian/Syrian targets in retaliation.
(These are illustrative of a broader pattern: “Iran-in-Syria” enabling launches/attempted launches toward Israel.)
2021
Jul 29, 2021 (Gulf of Oman): Attack on Mercer Street (Israeli-linked shipping); Israel/partners blamed Iran; Iran denied.
This is a notable “shadow war” strike on Israeli-linked assets.
2023 (Gaza war opens multi-front proxy attacks)
Oct 7, 2023: Hamas-led attack on Israel triggers regional escalation.
Iran’s direct operational control of Oct 7 is disputed; however, U.S. sanctions and official releases describe IRGC-QF mechanisms supporting Hamas/PIJ (funding, facilitation).
Oct 8, 2023 onward (Lebanon): Hezbollah begins sustained rocket/fire exchanges with Israel.
Oct 31, 2023 (Yemen → Israel): Iran-backed Houthis claim missile/drone launches toward Israel (Eilat area referenced).
2024 (Proxy attacks continue; Iran goes overt/direct)
Apr 1, 2024 (Eilat): “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claims aerial strike on Eilat; Israel reports a strike from the east.
Apr 13–14, 2024 (Direct Iran → Israel): Iran launches its first large, direct barrage of drones and missiles at Israeli territory.
Jul 21, 2024 (Yemen → Israel): Israel says it intercepted a Houthi missile; Israel says Houthis launched ~200 attacks since the Gaza war began (many intercepted).
Oct 1, 2024 (Direct Iran → Israel): Israel reports missiles launched from Iran; IRGC says it fired missiles and warns against retaliation.
Oct 22–23, 2024 (Iraq proxy → Israel): Reuters reports Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims drone attacks toward Eilat; Israel reports interceptions/alerts.
Nov 5, 2024 (Iraq proxy → Israel): Israel says it intercepted a drone from the east; Iraq-based group claims responsibility.
Sources: Midtown Tribune news