Tensions Between Iran and Azerbaijan Escalate Over Growing Israel Ties

Iran and Azerbaijan are once again locked in a diplomatic dispute, this time over Baku's growing ties with Israel. During high-level talks in Tehran over the weekend, Kamal Kharrazi, Chairman of Iran’s Strategic Council for Foreign Relations and a top advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed serious concerns about Israel’s expanding presence in Azerbaijan.

Kharrazi cautioned Azerbaijan about the implications of its relationship with Israel, stressing that “countries should take their neighbors' sensitivities into consideration,” according to reports from the Azeri embassy. This marks the latest chapter in a long-running conflict between Tehran and Baku, with Iran frequently criticizing Azerbaijan for its security and business ties with Israel.

Azerbaijan, on the other hand, has accused Iran of interference, citing inflammatory rhetoric from Iranian religious figures and media. Just last month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev condemned remarks made by Seyyed Hassan Ameli, the Friday Prayer Leader of Ardabil, who accused Baku of collaborating with Israel. Aliyev dismissed these claims as baseless and politically motivated.

Beyond the war of words, the rift deepened in January when Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iran’s chargé d'affaires in Baku to protest anti-Azerbaijan propaganda in Iranian media. The tension escalated further when Azerbaijan’s State Security Service announced that it had foiled a terror plot targeting a prominent member of the country’s Jewish community. The two suspects, one Azerbaijani and one Georgian, were arrested near a Jewish center on suspicion of planning an assassination. Azerbaijani intelligence believes Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may have been involved, given the group’s history of targeting Israeli, Jewish, and Iranian dissident figures abroad.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s deepening economic ties with Israel continue to fuel Iran's frustrations. Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company (SOCAR) recently acquired a 10% stake in Israel’s offshore gas field Tamar. This deal further cements the growing diplomatic and economic alliance between the two nations, despite Iran’s ongoing objections to Azerbaijan’s security cooperation with Israel.

Iran has long accused Azerbaijan of allowing Israel to operate intelligence and military bases on its soil, though Baku has repeatedly denied these allegations. Azerbaijani officials, including Ambassador Mukhtar Mammadov, have insisted that their country will not allow Israeli military operations against Iran to be launched from its territory.

Despite the rising tensions, diplomatic engagement continues. During Hikmet Hajiyev’s visit to Tehran, discussions centered around regional security, academic cooperation, and collaboration within international organizations. However, the growing mistrust between Iran and Azerbaijan over Israeli ties remains a significant obstacle to better relations.