Iran again threatens Azerbaijan over friendship with Israel Gallant's visit startled IRGC

Iranian Pars news agency, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has posted an editorial piece threatening Azerbaijan over Baku's cooperation with Israel.

According to 9tv.co.il, the immediate reason for the article was the visit of Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to the Azerbaijani capital in mid-July. It is noted that during the three-day trip, Gallant held talks with Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov, Border Troops Commander Elchin Guliyev and other top officials of the security forces of Azerbaijan.

Pars cited this visit as proof that allegedly "the Azerbaijani government acts on the advice of the racist Israeli regime and receives direct instructions from the diplomats of this regime". The author of the piece further writes that "the Israeli authorities are preparing Baku for more intensive hostilities with Iran in the period after the signing of the peace agreement with Armenia by the end of this year". As an example of such "preparation" the recent creation of a large military cyber centre in Baku by Israelis is cited.

The piece quotes an Iranian military analyst as saying the following: "Even if Azerbaijan does not participate in the Israeli coalition against Iran in case of war, Iran will first strike Azerbaijan".

After meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on April 19 this year, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said they discussed "common strategic regional challenges, especially regional security and the fight against terrorism."

A few days later, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that "the facts indicate the bad intentions of the Zionist regime and the related threat to Iran from the territory of Azerbaijan".