Mohsen Tanabandeh, a prominent Iranian actor and director, mourned his nephew

The ideological divide between Israel, a Jewish state with a democratic system, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, a Shiite theocracy, is fundamental. This clash of identities and governing philosophies fuels much of the animosity. Iran's revolutionary narrative emphasizes Islamic unity and resistance to Western influence, often portraying Israel as an outpost of Western imperialism, while Israel views itself as a sovereign nation with a right to exist and defend itself against existential threats.