The Cyrus Accords: Israel’s Quiet Bet on a Post-Islamic Republic Iran

For nearly half a century, Israel and Iran have defined themselves partly through mutual hostility. That may be changing – not through official diplomacy between the two governments, which don’t exist, but through a growing, increasingly public relationship between Jerusalem and Iran’s exiled opposition, centered on Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

The clearest signal came recently when Israeli Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Gila Gamliel told Iran International that Israel backs Pahlavi because Iranians themselves trust and support him – marking the first time a sitting Netanyahu cabinet minister has explicitly endorsed him to help lead a transition away from the Islamic Republic. Gamliel has effectively become Israel’s de facto liaison to the Iranian opposition, having hosted Pahlavi in Israel in 2023 and led a delegation of Iranian