Israel sees Iran as an existential threat. Israel has accused Iran of harboring genocidal intentions, while Iran has accused Israel of conducting a genocide in Gaza. Consequently, Israel has sought sanctions and military action against Iran to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Former Prime Minister Bakhtiar, for example, recently claimed that there are over 20,000 Palestinian advisers in Iran. Other opponents of the Khomeini government have charged that Palestinians pilot Iranian aircraft or are present among the militants holding the US Embassy.

China and India have also emerged as friends of Iran; these three countries face similar challenges in the global economy as they industrialize, and consequently find themselves aligned on a number of issues. Iran maintains regular diplomatic and commercial relations with Russia and the former Soviet Republics.