Iranian leader's son: Tehran should cooperate with Baku, not provoke it

Yousef Pezeshkian, son of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, has issued a strong public rebuke of radical political factions in Iran, accusing them of damaging the country’s interests with their criticism of efforts to improve relations between Iran and Azerbaijan.

As reported by Caliber.Az, Pezeshkian emphasised in his statement:

“The actions we take have consequences we cannot escape. One of the signs of maturity is understanding that when we express an opinion or take a stance, we must not only sincerely believe in it but also reflect on the consequences, assess the potential harm, and be prepared to accept the outcome.”

He went on to challenge certain public figures who have repeatedly claimed that “Azerbaijan helped Israel during the war.” Pezeshkian urged a critical evaluation of such statements, asking:

“Before making these accusations, shouldn’t we ask: What evidence is there? Have any Iranian intelligence or security agencies presented such information? Are there any observations or reports from Iranians living in Azerbaijan? Is there even a single verified source confirming that Azerbaijan assisted Israel in a war against Iran? The answer is clear — such claims have not been substantiated by any official source.”

He then questioned what benefit Iran would gain from spreading these accusations:

“Do we really want the future of our relationship with Azerbaijan to become tense and antagonistic?”

Pezeshkian outlined three possible scenarios for how Iran could proceed in its dealings with Azerbaijan:

1. “We want to go to war with Azerbaijan — or provoke them into war with us.”

2. “We want to maintain a state of neither war nor peace, avoiding resolution of existing problems.”

3. “We want to be neighbours despite our differences and pursue cooperation — helping each other resolve problems and seeking mutually beneficial solutions.”

He stressed that the first option is not only contrary to the leadership’s intentions but also clearly harmful to Iran’s interests. However, he warned that irresponsible allegations could push the country toward precisely that outcome:

“When someone says that Azerbaijan helped Israel in the war, they’re essentially declaring that Azerbaijan is our enemy. And if Azerbaijan is our enemy, that means we must go to war with them. But I doubt any reasonable person in this country actually wants that.”

He also criticised the second scenario:

“Those who support it assume that we treat Azerbaijan as an adversary without engaging in open conflict. But even this approach is not in our interest. Why? Because if you consider someone an enemy, you must be ready for their actions against you, not necessarily military ones. It could be diplomatic pressure, economic measures targeting us, and so on.”

According to Pezeshkian, the third approach is the wisest:

“There will always be political and international disagreements between two countries — that’s normal. But despite these differences, even with conflicting interests, we can find common ground and use it to build cooperation that benefits both sides — in trade, the economy, and even in the field of security.”

He concluded with a cautionary note:

“I genuinely believe that some people act with good intentions, but they don’t realise that their obsessive ideas are harming not just the country but also the broader Muslim community, ultimately playing into Israel’s hands. Let us be vigilant and avoid becoming unwitting pawns in their game.”

By Tamilla Hasanova