Iran and Israel are both in the Middle East (West Asia), but they are not neighbors and are separated by several countries.

Where is Israel?

  • Israel is on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the region often called the Levant in West Asia.
  • It is bordered by:
    • Lebanon to the north.
* Syria to the northeast.
* Jordan to the east and southeast.
* Egypt to the southwest.
* The Mediterranean Sea to the west, and it has a small outlet to the Red Sea in the south (near Eilat/Gulf of Aqaba).

In simple map terms, Israel is a narrow strip of land on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Where is Iran?

  • Iran is further east, still in West Asia, forming a large part of the Iranian Plateau.
  • It lies east of Iraq and the Persian Gulf and west of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
  • Iran is much larger than Israel and sits between the Middle East and Central/South Asia.

On a map, if you start at the Mediterranean coast (Israel) and move eastward past Jordan and Iraq, you reach Iran.

Distance and countries in between

  • Israel and Iran are roughly about 1,000 miles (around 1,600 km) apart in a straight line.
  • They are separated mainly by Jordan, Iraq, and sometimes Syria routes, depending on how you draw the line on the map.

Quick location table (HTML)

Country Region Borders / Nearby Coasts
Israel Middle East (West Asia) Lebanon (N), Syria (NE), Jordan (E/SE), Egypt (SW), Palestinian territories nearby (West Bank, Gaza) Mediterranean Sea (W), small coast on Red Sea (S)
Iran Middle East / West Asia (Iranian Plateau) Iraq (W), Turkey and Armenia (NW), Azerbaijan (N/NW), Turkmenistan (N/NE), Afghanistan (E), Pakistan (SE), Gulf states across the Persian Gulf (SW) Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (S/SW)
Both countries are key states in the Middle East, but Israel is a small coastal country on the Mediterranean, while Iran is a large inland and coastal country much farther east toward Central and South Asia.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.