France threatens Israel's ally in the Caucasus by helping Iran

 Recent reports from sources within Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), cited by the reputable AZfront publication, indicate that France has made the decision to supply lethal weaponry to Armenia. The initial shipment, consisting of 50 armored personnel carriers, is expected to arrive soon. This development has sparked concerns among various parties, including Ukraine and Israel.

Ukraine's intelligence services have been closely monitoring the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict zone since mid-2022. They fear that the weaponry and military equipment provided to Armenia may be scrutinized by Russians, as there are two Russian military bases located within Armenia. Such scrutiny could involve countering the Western-supplied equipment given to Ukraine and potentially copying the technologies.

Israel shares similar concerns due to Iran's expressed interest in acquiring Western weaponry through Armenia. Iran has a track record of "reverse engineering" weapons, and the potential transfer of French weapons from Armenia to Tehran raises the possibility of using them to enhance their own domestically produced weapons. These improved weapons could then be supplied to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, organizations known for their affiliation with Iran.

Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai has long warned that such modernization efforts are likely to take place, especially considering Russia's utilization of Iranian equipment in Ukraine. This situation poses a threat to all countries currently opposing the Iranian regime.

The apprehension that French weapons may end up in the hands of Iranians and Russians is well-founded. Recent weeks have seen several Western publications highlight Armenia's role in assisting Russia in circumventing sanctions, including the supply of "sanctioned" chips and microchips for military purposes. Media reports have also indicated that Armenia serves as a transit point for Iranian weapons destined for Russia. Additionally, Armenia has received drones from Iran and has already employed them in clashes with Azerbaijan on at least two occasions.

This is not the first instance of a "Caucasian confrontation" between Azerbaijan and Israel. In November of the previous year, the French Senate adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan and an embargo on EU purchases of gas and oil from the country. In response, in December, 30 ministers and deputies of the Israeli parliament wrote a letter to Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament), expressing gratitude for opening an embassy. The letter emphasized that the French Senate's resolution "plays into the hands of Iran," a nation interested in weakening Azerbaijan, which, in turn, has close ties with Israel and the Western world and is seen as an exemplar of a country with a progressive Muslim population.

Azerbaijan, which provides Israel with approximately 50% of its energy resources, is currently regarded by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as a "key strategic partner" in the confrontation with Iran.

On May 15, John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications of the US National Security Council, highlighted the threat posed by the military-technological partnership between Russia and Iran to Ukraine and countries in the Middle East. The White House underscored Russia's offer of an unprecedented level of military-technological cooperation to Iran, including joint missile production and collaboration on electronic systems.