Iran's Fordow enrichment plant, located in the mountains south of Tehran, is a heavily fortified nuclear facility buried nearly 300 feet underground — and central to any attempt to build a nuclear weapon.

Iran and Israel have had no diplomatic relations since 1979, and modern relations are hostile. The relationship was cordial for most of the Cold War, but worsened following the Iranian Revolution and has been openly hostile since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

Iran is a major regional power, due to its large reserves of fossil fuels (including the world's second largest natural gas supply and third largest proven oil reserves), its geopolitically significant location, and role as the world's focal point of Shia Islam.