One of the most dramatic changes in Iran’s government history was seen in the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Autocratic monarchy was replaced by an Islamic Republic based on the principle of rule by Islamic jurists, where clerics serve as head of state and in many powerful governmental roles. A pro-Western, pro-American foreign policy was exchanged for one of “neither east nor west”, said to rest on the three “pillars” of mandatory veil (hijab) for women, and opposition to the United States and Israel. A rapidly modernizing, capitalist economy was replaced by populist and Islamic economic and culture.
These developments created one of the most security challenging situations for the young, although battle-tested, nation of Israel as Iran has developed into a formidable foe. So the question in the mind of many is how would these two adversaries measure up against each other? This video takes a look at the state of military affairs for both Iran and Israel as of 2016.
