Iran is the primary backer of a range of groups across the Middle East – often described as proxy groups – that are hostile to Israel, including Hamas and Hezbollah, which Israel is currently at war with.
In April, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel, with about 300 missiles and drones, in retaliation for an Israeli air strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria that killed several top commanders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Israel responded with a “limited” strike on a missile defence system in the Iranian region of Isfahan.
Then, in July, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on Beirut. The next day, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran. Iran blamed Israel, though Israel did not comment.
In late September, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and Brig-Gen Abbas Nilforoushan, a high-ranking Iranian official.
On October 1, Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which it said was in response to the deaths of Haniyeh and Nasrallah.