Could Iran Strike Azerbaijan Because of Israel?

A recent report by the Israeli public broadcasting corporation Kan, claiming that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has prohibited its soldiers from staying in Azerbaijan and Georgia due to potential threats from Iran, has caused confusion both in Israel and the mentioned countries.

Several Israeli media outlets reached out to the IDF's press office for clarification but were unable to obtain a clear response. According to the Israeli news outlet Vesty.co.il, the report about the order for Israelis to leave Azerbaijan and Georgia was only published on Kan's website.

The message was posted on Telegram on the night of August 12th, but there are no references to such an order in the IDF's press office or other Israeli media. In response to a query from Vesty.co.il, the IDF press office stated briefly: "The Israeli army constantly assesses the situation and updates information regarding the countries where entry is permitted for IDF soldiers."

In other words, the military neither confirmed nor denied Kan's information. When contacted by the Turan news agency, the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan declined to comment on the matter. Baku has also not commented on the Israeli report.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the Media Development Agency, it was noted: "Recently, media outlets from certain countries, citing sources of questionable reliability, have been spreading information about Azerbaijan that does not reflect the truth and is aimed at misleading both the local and international public."

The statement specifically mentioned the Iran International TV channel, as well as The Telegraph and Kan. "We declare that there are no foreign military contingents on the territory of Azerbaijan, and we strongly condemn the manipulation of information based on false data," the statement said.

It is noteworthy that the British publication The Telegraph, citing its own sources, reported that "generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are insisting on launching direct strikes on Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities, with a particular focus on military bases to avoid civilian casualties. However, newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested targeting secret Israeli bases in neighboring countries."

Meanwhile, the United States has stated that Israel could be attacked by Iran this week.

The likelihood of Iran striking Azerbaijan was discussed on the program "Complex Questions" by political commentator Khaleddin Ibrahimli. The expert noted that this is not the first time Iran has accused Azerbaijan of supporting Zionists and allowing their presence on its territory. However, the fact that this assertion was made by newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is of Turkic ethnicity, suggests that the mullah regime brought him to power to unite the Turks around the government.

"It seems that one Turk in the position of Rahbar (Ali Khamenei) was not enough to support the regime; another was needed as president," Ibrahimli emphasized.

In his opinion, the election of a Turkic president in Iran is part of a project with far-reaching goals, and Iran's stance toward Azerbaijan may become even more radical. Tehran likely assumes that by electing Pezeshkian as president, hostile actions toward Baku will not provoke a negative reaction among the Turks and the Iranian armed forces.

Ibrahimli also pointed out that Pezeshkian has not yet denied the report published by The Telegraph. "As long as Pezeshkian does not refute the claim about the possibility of strikes on 'secret Israeli bases in neighboring countries,' the version of Iran's aggressive plans against Azerbaijan will remain valid," he added.

Regarding the possibility of Azerbaijan's cooperation with Israel, Ibrahimli doubted the existence of Israeli military bases on Azerbaijani territory. "Any objective analysis shows that Israel has no need to maintain military bases in Azerbaijan, as Israel does not have significant issues with Iran, as might be perceived," the expert concluded.