Iran Israel Secret Deal: Project Flower (1977–1979)

The video titled “Israel–Iran Secret Deal That Created Today’s Missile Threat” discusses a historical collaboration known as Project Flower (or Project Tze’elim). Based on historical records and declassified documents, here is the truth behind the claims made in the video:

The Secret Deal: Project Flower (1977–1979)

• The Meeting: In April 1977, Israel and Iran (under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) signed six secret “oil-for-arms” contracts totalling approximately $1.2 billion.
• The Objective: The primary goal was to develop and modify an advanced surface-to-surface missile. The plan involved modifying an existing Israeli missile (likely the Gabriel anti-ship missile or a Jericho variant) to extend its range and replace American parts with Israeli-made ones so it could be exported without U.S. approval.
• The Nuclear Connection: Documents seized after the 1979 Revolution revealed that the two sides discussed making the missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead (roughly a 750 kg payload). While the nuclear capability was a known technical possibility of the design, it was never officially pursued as a joint project.

Infrastructure and “The Darker Side”

• Construction in Iran: As stated in the video, Iran made a down payment of $280 million in oil. Israeli engineers did move to Iran and began building a missile assembly plant near Sirjan and a test range near Rafsanjan.
• Allegations of Deception: There is historical support for the video’s claim that Israel may have intended to “dupe” the Shah. Ronen Bergman, a prominent Israeli journalist and author of The Secret War with Iran, cited a senior Israeli Defense official who claimed the plan was to give Iran obsolete technology while using Iranian funding to develop Israel’s own next-generation weapons.

The 1979 Revolution and the Legacy

• The Fallout: When the 1979 Islamic Revolution occurred, the project was abruptly terminated. Israeli personnel fled, and most blueprints were sent back via diplomatic bags.
• The “Mutation”: The video argues that Iran inherited the infrastructure of this program. While the specific “Project Flower” missile was never delivered, historians note that the knowledge, facilities, and regional ambition for a missile program that Iran developed during this period served as the foundational era for the modern-day Iranian missile program.

Conclusion: The video’s narrative is largely based on factual historical events documented in declassified CIA files and historical accounts. The secret partnership between the current arch-enemies is a well-documented, albeit “ghostly,” chapter of Middle Eastern history.