Abstract. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has always pursued an anti-Israel policy. Religious and ideological enmity with Israel is still a vital element in the doctrine of the Islamic Republic whose revolutionary ideology explicitly rejects the existence of Israel and calls for Israel “to be wiped off the map”. However, a focus on this ideological doctrine is not enough to understand Iran’s policy towards Israel, the Palestinian issue, and the Gaza problem. Has the IRI’s policy been solely determined by its revolutionary ideals, Iran would have joined the Gaza war or pushed Hezbollah to an all-out confrontation with Israel. The fact that Iran has not taken such measures is more than an expression of moderation – it is an evidence of its rational and pragmatic approach. Although the ideological revolutionary vision of Israel’s destruction has not been abandoned, Iran’s policy is increasingly focused on a range of security needs and strategic goals set by its leadership in pursuance of evolving national strategic interests. Since the beginning of the new acute crisis around and in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Iran’s current and potential role in the Palestinian–Israeli context has been widely discussed. In Israel and the West, it is commonly assumed that since Iran supports Hamas and congratulated Hamas on its 7 October 2023 attack, it may not want or be able to leave Hamas alone in the face of a large-scale war in Gaza and, if not by itself then at least through its regional allies, will do everything to support Hamas. However, Iran’s own focus has been two-fold: on the one hand, to avoid getting involved in a regional war and, on the other, to stop the Israeli aggression against Gaza. As a result, Tehran has been trying to score propaganda points from the Gaza crisis without starting a wider war. Directly engaging in a head-to-head war with Israel could potentially trigger U.S. intervention, resulting in massive losses to Iran. While Iran does not want an all-out war, it intends to maintain its reputation as the leading force confronting Israel in the Muslim world, especially given the devastating situation in Gaza. For that aim, Iran has used Hamas and the Gaza war to activate its regional network of allies and protégés against Israel. However, when the conflict in Gaza ends, Iran will encourage its proxies to de-escalate tensions to support peace and stability in the region.