When you can no longer hide behind a patron's back

Could the 19th century English writer, poet, journalist, and traveller Joseph Rudyard Kipling, releasing his collection of stories "The Jungle Book", assume that in the late 20th and 21st centuries the characters he invented would be applied to individual nations and countries? Unlikely. Nevertheless, it has happened. In particular, a character from that collection, the jackal Tabaqui, has been used. The jackal is the weasel henchman of Shere Khan the tiger, behind whose powerful back the beast does evil deeds, running through the jungle in fits of rage, biting everyone in his path. But as soon as any jungle-dweller threatens Tabaqui, he immediately cinches his tail and hides behind the back of his patron.

Our restless neighbours had been occupying the territories of Azerbaijan for more than 30 years. It would seem that after receiving a powerful kick in the butt from the Azerbaijani soldier in the autumn of 2020, the Armenian military-political leadership should have at least become a little wiser. At least for the sake of their own survival. Both physically and politically. But no, neither Yerevan nor the rest of the Armenian bands in the territories in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, show any intention of self-preservation.

Moreover, they try their best to feel the iron fist of the Azerbaijani soldiers. This was demonstrated by the events of the last day (August 3), when the Azerbaijani army in response to the armed provocations of the Armenian armed gangs in Karabakh, which resulted in the death of a soldier of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, carried out the operation "Revenge." After a year and a half long war and 44 days of boredom at the sound of approaching "Bayraktar" the Armenian army is still counting its losses - so far two servicemen were killed and 19 wounded. However, bearing in mind the keen predilection of the followers of unforgettable Artsrun [Hovhannisyan, former spokesman of the Armenian Defence Ministry] the storyteller for games with freezing chambers, we can expect in the coming days a "sudden" increase in the number of fatal accidents and suicides in the thinned ranks of the Armenian military who never left the territory of Azerbaijan.

The backs of those behind whom Armenia has been hiding all these decades are well known to us Azerbaijanis. Yes, sometimes one or another patron does not want to be hit and manages to dodge. This was the case, for example, during the 44-day war, when Russia refused to openly defend its henchman. So, after the 44-day war, the Armenians, disappointed with Russia, decided to hide in the shadow of another powerful regional actor - Iran. But Baku managed not only to reassure Tehran but also to win the southern neighbour to its side with its flawless diplomacy. In this context, it should be recalled that in March of this year, by the results of the 15th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran intergovernmental commission the parties signed a memorandum of understanding which envisages the creation of a transport corridor between the East Zangazur economic region of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Iran. This move by Baku gave Tehran a chance to feel that it is not behind the processes taking place on its northern borders.

But the Armenians have not understood the changed geopolitical and economic situation in the region. They naively continue to believe that any confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan would always be a source of tension for Tehran. In fact, Armenia wished to be the main ally of one of the superpowers of the Cold War era, when bringing one side's army to full combat readiness entailed the response of the other side. Just the other day when they got a distinct whiff of trouble because of provocations by Armenian armed gangs in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, they, like a drowning man grasping at straws, were excited by reports in some Iranian media that Tehran was allegedly bringing its troops to the border with Azerbaijan. "This is it, salvation! Iran has not abandoned us," they rejoiced.

However, their joy was short-lived. As Caliber.Az already reported with reference to its diplomatic sources, that the information about the alleged relocation of Iranian troops to the Azerbaijani border was not confirmed. Moreover, it caused great surprise in Iran. And how could it be otherwise, if it was just one tank, which was transported by a tractor? The tank might have been returning from a routine repair, or it might have been sent to reinforce one of the Iranian military units. Is there any other reason why a tank could end up on a tractor? This, you must agree, is far from joyous relaying that "Iran is moving military equipment to the Azerbaijani border".

Undoubtedly, Armenia and the remains of bandit formations supported by it in Karabakh, like that same Tabaqui, will continue to seek help from more powerful world actors. They will search and at the same time whine about their "sad fate", yapping at Azerbaijan from afar. But they should nevertheless reread "The Jungle Book", because at its very end the Grey Brother, the wolf, one of Mowgli's named brothers, kills Tabaqui by breaking his spine. The book of "miatsum" is also close to its conclusion, and our neighbours have only one chance for its positive (for them) logical end - to leave our territories for good, preserving their hunched over, but still whole backbone.