Azerbaijani, Canadian FMs discuss Iran-Israel tensions, bilateral cooperation

On June 19, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand held a telephone conversation focused on the current military confrontation between Iran and Israel.

During the call, Minister Anand expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan's assistance in evacuating Canadian citizens from Iran amid rising tensions in the region, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Minister Bayramov, for his part, congratulated his counterpart on her recent appointment and wished her success in her new role.

The two top diplomats also exchanged views on a range of bilateral and regional matters of mutual interest.

The Israel-Iran conflict, rooted in decades of hostility, escalated sharply on June 13, with Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, driven by fears of Iran’s near-nuclear weapon capability. 

The strikes reportedly resulted in significant casualties, including the deaths of several high-ranking military figures: Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Gholamali Rashid and Ali Shadmani, commanders of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters; IRGC Air Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh; Ali Shadmani, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who succeeded Gholam Rashid; as well as nine nuclear scientists and other senior officials.

In retaliation, Iran launched a massive missile and drone attack on Israel on the same day, firing over 150 ballistic missiles and more than 100 drones targeting Tel Aviv and other regions. These attacks caused civilian casualties and widespread damage.

By Khagan Isayev