Across Europe and the Middle East, momentum is building behind recognition of a Palestinian state. Several European governments have already taken that step, and Arab states once hostile to Israel are now reconciling with it under the framework of the Abraham Accords. A two-state solution, once a distant dream, is edging closer to mainstream international consensus.
One country, however, views this prospect not as progress but as a threat: the Islamic Republic of Iran. For Tehran, the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is an outcome more dangerous than endless conflict.
A Revolution Built on Rejection
Since its founding in 1979, the Islamic Republic has defined itself through opposition to Israel’s existence. The clerical regime casts Israel as an illegitimate “Zionist entity,” imposed on Muslim land by Western powers. Support for the Palestinians is not simply foreign policy—it is an ideological pillar.
A two-state solution shatters this narrative. Recognizing a Palestinian state beside Israel necessarily means recognizing Israel itself. For Iran’s rulers, this would amount to renouncing the revolution’s core promise: resistance until Israel’s eradication.
Losing the “Resistance” Card
Iran’s hostility to Israel has also been a strategic asset. By arming and funding groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, Tehran projects influence across the Levant. These partnerships are justified under the banner of “resistance” to Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
But if Palestinians themselves secure statehood through diplomacy, Iran’s proxy war loses its central justification. Hamas or other factions that accept a two-state deal would weaken ties with Tehran, depriving Iran of a vital tool of regional leverage.
Arab Rivals Take the Lead
The rise of Arab-Israeli normalization compounds Tehran’s anxiety. Gulf monarchies such as the UAE and Bahrain now maintain open relations with Israel, while Saudi Arabia weighs its own rapprochement. These states frame normalization as compatible with supporting Palestinian rights.
If a Palestinian state is recognized alongside Israel, it is Arab governments—not Iran—that will claim credit for advancing the Palestinian cause. The Islamic Republic, still clinging to a rejectionist ideology, would be left isolated and sidelined.
Trapped by Its Own Ideology
For Tehran, opposing Israel is not just political—it is theological. The regime has enshrined anti-Zionism in its institutions, even dedicating the last Friday of Ramadan to “Quds Day” rallies calling for Israel’s elimination. To accept a two-state solution would require a fundamental ideological retreat, something the clerical elite is incapable of making without undermining its own legitimacy.
This rigidity could prove costly. While much of the world moves toward a diplomatic resolution, the Islamic Republic risks being stranded—louder in its rhetoric, but increasingly irrelevant in shaping outcomes.
The Islamic Republic’s opposition to a Palestinian state beside Israel is not a mystery; it is baked into its revolutionary DNA and regional strategy. A two-state solution would strip Tehran of its ideological mantle, weaken its proxy networks, and hand the narrative of Palestinian advocacy to its Arab rivals.
In the end, the Islamic Republic fears Palestinian statehood not because it opposes Palestinian aspirations—but because it would expose decades of “resistance” as a strategy built on rejection, not resolution.
Dr. Fariba Parsa holds a Ph.D. in social science, specializing in Iranian politics with a focus on political Islam, democracy, and human rights. She is the author of Fighting for Change in Iran: The Women, Life, Freedom Philosophy against Political Islam. Dr. Parsa is also the founder and president of Women's E-Learning in Leadership (WELL), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in Iran and Afghanistan through online leadership education and training.
