An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024.
An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024.
  • Iran and Israel have fought a deadly shadow war for decades.
  • The two enemies have relied on proxy forces, assassinations, and strikes abroad to hit each other.
  • Iran's unprecedented attack last weekend introduced a new dynamic into the simmering conflict.

A decades-long shadow war between Iran and Israel has been thrust into broad daylight.

For years, the two bitter foes have relied on strikes in other countries, covert assassinations, and proxy forces to trade blows as part of a simmering — but deadly — conflict. Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel last weekend has notably changed the dynamics of this conflict, and it's now more dangerous.