Israel built secret Azerbaijan network to monitor Iran: Report
What's the story
During its recent conflict with Iran, Israel is said to have established a secret network of military and intelligence positions in Azerbaijan. The covert operation was reportedly aimed at monitoring Iranian military activity and providing early warning of missile launches. A CNN report states that Israeli forces operated from several locations in southern Azerbaijan, some as close as 97km from the Iranian city of Tabriz.
Denial issued
Azerbaijan denies allegations
However, Azerbaijan has strongly denied these allegations. A spokesperson for the Azerbaijani embassy in the United States said, "We firmly reject unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan's territory for operations against third countries." The report also suggests that Israel had established a wider network around Iran, with facilities in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland.
Strategic positioning
Claims of Israeli positions surrounding Iran
The alleged Israeli positions would have effectively surrounded Iran from the north, west, and south. The Iraqi military has denied any unauthorized foreign bases on its territory, while the UAE has publicly denied these claims, and Israeli officials have not publicly commented on these claims. According to the report, Israeli planners had begun laying intelligence infrastructure near the Azerbaijan-Iran border.
Covert activities
Report links operations to network
The report claims that Israeli special forces and intelligence units used Azerbaijani territory for drone operations and battlefield surveillance. These forward positions allegedly provided early warning of Iranian missile activity and contingency support for downed Israeli pilots. One operation linked to this network was the March 4 killing of Rahman Moghaddam, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's intelligence division. Neither Israel nor Azerbaijan has confirmed involvement in such operations.