Baku Denies Allegations of Aiding Israeli Strikes
Iran stated on Thursday that Azerbaijan had refuted claims it allowed Israel to utilize its airspace during the recent 12-day conflict between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
According to a statement from the Iranian presidency, the issue was raised in a phone conversation between Iran’s newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The conflict, which began on June 13, saw Israel launch a wide-scale bombing operation targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities, resulting in the deaths of high-ranking scientists and commanders. A ceasefire between the two countries came into effect on Tuesday.
During their call, President Pezeshkian requested an investigation into allegations that Israel had conducted “drone and microlight” operations through Azerbaijani airspace to strike Iran. However, President Aliyev reportedly dismissed these claims, affirming that “Azerbaijan would never permit its airspace to be used against a friendly and brotherly nation.”
Interestingly, the Azerbaijani statement regarding the call made no mention of this particular topic.
Just a day after the outbreak of hostilities, Baku publicly declared it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks on Tehran.
“Azerbaijan will never allow its territory to be used for attacks on third countries, including friendly Iran,” Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, at the time.
Tehran has previously expressed concerns about possible Israeli military operations being launched through Azerbaijani airspace, given Israel’s role as a significant arms supplier to Baku.
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Baku Denies Allegations of Aiding Israeli Strikes
