Azerbaijan seeks to defuse tensions between Turkey and Israel in Syria

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2022 (Photo: Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

The government of Azerbaijan has confirmed its role as a mediator aimed at easing tensions between Turkey and Israel in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. With strong diplomatic and strategic ties to both Ankara and Jerusalem, Azerbaijan is seen as well-positioned to facilitate dialogue between the two regional powers.

“Azerbaijan is making diplomatic efforts for an agreement,” Azerbaijan’s top foreign policy advisor, Hikmet Hajiyev, told Turkish media representatives in the Azeri capital Baku.” He added, “Both Turkey and Israel trust us.”

Azerbaijan: Augmenting the Abraham Accords

Since the 1990s, Azerbaijan has played a considerable role in bolstering Israel’s security and enhancing its access to energy.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on May 30, 2023. Credit: Haim Zach/GPO.

(April 16, 2025 / JNS)  “The Abraham Accords were the greatest foreign policy accomplishment of Trump’s first administration; he has made it clear that his new administration will seek to expand them.”           “Forbes,” March 8, 2025

Two recent media reports underscored the emerging international stature of the Caucasian republic of Azerbaijan and its ties to Israel.

Iran-Azerbaijan tensions rise over Israel ties, alleged assassination plot

Iran warns Azerbaijan over its growing ties with Israel as Baku deepens energy cooperation and foils an alleged Iranian-backed terror plot targeting a Jewish community member.

By ALEX WINSTON

Former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi meets with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on the Azerbaijan-Iran border, May 19, 2024.(photo credit: IRAN'S PRESIDENCY/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY)/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Iran and Azerbaijan are once again at odds over Baku’s growing ties with Israel, with Tehran raising concerns during a high-level meeting between officials from both countries over the weekend.

During talks in Tehran, Kamal Kharrazi, chairman of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Azerbaijan about Israel’s expanding presence in the country.

Experto ruso: Turquía se perjudica a sí misma al afectar los intereses de Rusia

Según el experto ruso Alexei Naumov, tras el derrocamiento del régimen de Assad en Siria, Moscú observa con preocupación las acciones del presidente turco Erdogan, pero no cree que Ankara se convierta en «un ariete contra Rusia». Naumov señaló también que, al afectar a los intereses rusos, Turquía sólo se perjudica a sí misma.

Asimismo, Naumov afirmó que la idea turca del «Gran Turán», que incluye también territorios rusos, es una plataforma ideológica utilizada por los enemigos de Rusia . [1]

Cabe señalar que en 2021, durante el evento “Conversaciones sobre democracia, la historia de un poema” en la ciudad turca de Siirt, Erdoğan abrió su discurso leyendo un poema del intelectual e ideólogo turco otomano Ziya Gökalp (1876-1924), que ya había leído en un mitin en Siirt en 1997, cuando era alcalde de Estambul. Tras su lectura del poema en 1997, fue condenado a 10 meses de prisión, ya que Turquía estaba en ese momento dirigida por fuerzas secularistas. [2]

How will the death of Iran's president impact Israel and the Middle East?

Raisi was seen as a probable successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Hanan Lischinsky

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visit ballistic missiles during the joining ceremony of ballistic missiles to the Armed Forces, in Tehran, Iran, August 22, 2023. Iran's Presidency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS).

On Monday morning, the Iranian regime confirmed that its President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had died in a helicopter crash, on their way back from a visit in the neighboring country of Azerbaijan.

While Israel has denied its involvement in the crash that took place amid bad weather in a mountainous region, the death of two senior Iranian officials less than two months after Iran’s large-scale assault against Israel poses serious questions regarding the possible fallout for the Jewish state.

High alert for Iranian disruption of Herzog visit to Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is “a friendly state, a key state with a lot of areas of cooperation,” said Herzog.

By LAHAV HARKOV

President Isaac Herzog and Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku, on May 29, 2023     (photo credit: HAIM ZACH/GPO)

BAKU - President Isaac Herzog and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held in-depth discussions of the Iranian threat in Baku on Tuesday, with Herzog flanked by greater levels of security than usual, amid concerns that Tehran would attempt to disrupt the visit.

“We look at the regional security structure that is threatened by Iran - a topic that we discussed in depth,” Herzog said following his meeting with Aliyev, “and we expect to develop cooperation between us in many fields.”

Apertura de la Embajada de Azerbaiyán en Israel: la forma correcta de fortalecer los lazos

¿Por qué Bakú decidió dar este importante paso recién ahora y cómo afecta esto a la posición de Jerusalén en la región?

Mezquita en Bakú Foto ilustración: WikiImages vía Pixabay

Tras muchos años de cooperación entre Israel y Azerbaiyán, Bakú decidió abrir una embajada en Tel Aviv. Esta decisión corrige una asimetría existente en las relaciones bilaterales, ya que Israel tiene una embajada en Bakú desde hace casi tres décadas. ¿Por qué Azerbaiyán decidió dar este importante paso recién ahora y cómo afecta esto a la posición de Israel en la región?

La decisión de Azerbaiyán de abrir una embajada en Israel corrige una asimetría existente en las relaciones bilaterales: mientras que Israel tenía una embajada en Bakú desde 1993, Bakú no tenía embajada en Israel, a pesar de las estrechas

Azerbaiyán abrirá una embajada en Israel

Será la primera embajada en el Estado judío de un país de mayoría chií y con gobierno chií.

El ministro de Defensa, Benny Gantz (izquierda), durante una visita a Azerbaiyán el 3 de octubre de 2022. Foto: Nicole Laskavi/ Ministerio de Defensa de Israel vía Twitter

El Parlamento de Azerbaiyán anunció su decisión histórica de abrir una embajada en Israel.

La embajada estará ubicada en Tel Aviv y será la primera embajada en Israel de un país con mayoría chií y con gobierno chií.

El primer ministro saliente, Yair Lapid, manifestó su “beneplácito” con la decisión de la Asamblea Nacional de Azerbaiyán de abrir una embajada en Israel. “

From Bahrain to Azerbaijan, Iran is obsessed with ‘Zionist’ threats - analysis

As Israel successfully upgraded its relationship with Azerbaijan and Bahrain, Iran is trying to counter Israel's diplomatic success with threats to its neighbors.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN

A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on August 25, 2022.   (photo credit: IRANIAN ARMY/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY)/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Iran has spent the last two decades trying to bring its forces to Israel’s borders. This was manifested through support for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Hashd al-Shaabi group in Iraq. Now, Tehran is worried about Israel’s role in the Gulf as well as its warming relations with Azerbaijan.

Israel and Azerbaijan are strategic partners, with Defense Minister Benny Gantz recently visiting Baku. Israeli defense companies have also taken part in the

Israel plays center stage in Azerbaijan-Iran tensions

Continuing the friction is “not in the interest of Iran or Azerbaijan,” said Meir Javedanfar, a lecturer on Iranian politics at IDC Herzliya in Israel.

BY ARIEL BEN SOLOMON

A 3D illustration of flags pertaining to the Iran and Azerbaijan relationship in crisis. Credit: Open Art/Shutterstock.

(October 28, 2021 / JNS) Azerbaijan freed two Iranian truck drivers on Oct. 21 after their arrest last month in a sign of thawing relations after tensions spiked, in part due to charges by Iran that Israel had a military presence in the country.

Baku claimed the drivers had entered the country illegally and bypassed border control to avoid customs duties it recently imposed, reported AFP. Azerbaijan said that the foreign ministers of the two countries spoke and agreed to resolve their

Azerbaijan denies Iranian accusations of ‘Israeli presence’ on its border

The Azeri Foreign Ministry said: “These are baseless accusations, and we have not been presented with any evidence to back up this claim.”

Baku, Azerbaijan. Credit: ETIBARNAME/Shutterstock.

(October 4, 2021 / JNS) Azerbaijan issued a denial on Monday of recent accusations by Tehran of an “Israeli presence” on the country’s border with Iran.

The statement comes amid regional tensions and a major military exercise launched by Iran on the Azerbaijan border, accompanied by its claims that Israeli military or intelligence operations in the area.

Azerbaijan opens trade office in Tel Aviv 30 years after forming ties

The move is a preliminary step to the opening of the Azeri Embassy in Israel.

By ZEV STUB

Flag of Azerbaijan (photo credit: REUTERS)

Thirty years after establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, Azerbaijan inaugurated its Trade and Tourism office in Tel Aviv on Thursday, a preliminary step to the opening of the Azeri Embassy, the Tourism Ministry said.

Trade between the countries was about $200 million in 2020, excluding oil supplies. Israeli companies are represented in Azerbaijan in a variety of fields, from road construction to telecom and medicine.

Azerbaijan seeks to expand bilateral trade with Israel

In an exclusive interview, Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov says he hopes to open Azeri trade and tourism bureaus in the Jewish state.

BY DEAN SHMUEL ELMAS

The Israeli and Azerbaijani flags at the Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders. Credit: Akos Nagy.

(April 22, 2021 / Israel hayom) Like other oil-producing states, Azerbaijan is looking to diversify its economy.

While economic ties between Baku and Jerusalem are strong, the coronavirus has led to a decrease in bilateral trade following a $1.4 billion high in 2019. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil

Turkey Signals Sweeping Regional Ambitions

Map by Stratfor projecting Turkish sphere of influence in 2050, via Quora

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,959, March 11, 2021

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from southeastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf, and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Buoyed by last year’s defeat of Armenia by Azerbaijan, TGRT, a subsidiary of Ihlas Holding, a media and construction conglomerate that has won major government

Erdoğan’s Costly “Make Turkey Great Again” Program

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, photo by Paul Morigi via Brookings Institution Flickr CC

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,785, October 25, 2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “Make Turkey Great Again” campaign has come with military, diplomatic, geostrategic, and economic costs. Turkey’s posturing as a military might has been met with a Moody’s downgrade of Turkey’s credit rating to B2, putting the country on a level with Egypt, Jamaica, and Rwanda.

Turkey’s per capita income is barely $8,900. Its economy is suffering double-digit inflation and unemployment rates. A quarter of Turkish youth are unemployed. On September 21, the Turkish lira sank below a previous all-time low of 7.60 to the US

La ofensiva azerí abre una brecha entre Armenia e Israel

Yerevan retira a su embajador en Tel-Aviv a las dos semanas de abrir la legación.

Un trozo de cohete en medio de una de las calles del centro de Sepanakert, la sufrida capital de Nagorno-Karabakh (STRINGER / Reuters)

El conflicto por el enclave armenio del Alto Karabaj, congelado desde los años noventa, ha estallado de nuevo por la irrupción de los drones del ejército azerí. El cataclismo político es aún mayor porque muchos de estos, singularmente los kamikazes, son de factura israelí.

Esta evidencia ha llevado a la población armenia a poner el grieto en el cielo y a la República de Armenia ha congelar sus recién estrenadas relaciones diplomáticas con Israel. De hecho, Yerevan acababa de abrir su embajada en Tel-Aviv, el

Los acuerdos de paz de Israel son una pesadilla estratégica para Irán

El Comandante de la Armada de Irán, Almirante Habibollah Sayari, señala un mapa durante una conferencia de prensa en Teherán el 22 de diciembre de 2010. HAMED JAFARNEJAD/AFP A TRAVE DE GETTY IMAGES

Cuando el presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, anunció el 13 de agosto el Acuerdo Abraham, que normalizó las relaciones entre los Emiratos Árabes Unidos e Israel, el mundo tomó nota de ello como un momento histórico. En Irán, el acuerdo también se registró como una grave amenaza. En una notable muestra de unanimidad, diversos funcionarios de todo el establecimiento político denunciaron el acuerdo y advirtieron sobre sus consecuencias. Fue una señal de un próximo e inevitable cambio de estrategia por parte de Irán.

El día después del acuerdo, el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores iraní condenó el pacto como “una idiotez estratégica” y “una puñalada de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos en la espalda del pueblo palestino”. Un día después, el Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica (IRGC) emitió una ardiente declaración,

Russia and Iran’s Dangerous Energy Gambit in the Caucasus

Map via Wikimedia Commons

BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,708, August 25, 2020

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: There are signs that the current escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, far from being incidental to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is driven by Russia’s and Iran’s economic warfare against a competing state and the need to return Europe to dependency on their oil and gas in light of US sanctions. Armenia benefits from the bellicose activity thanks to a sophisticated information warfare campaign in a heated US election year that has been

Azerbaijan to UAE: Four ways you will benefit from peace with Israel

Analysis: This is the first Mideast peace treaty in 26 years, but it is not unprecedented for a Muslim-majority country and Israel to enjoy strategic ties.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN

Flag of Azerbaijan   (photo credit: REUTERS)

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed’s decision to normalize ties with Israel was well calculated – a move that was made with the understanding that the technology, geopolitical and religious rewards would far outweigh any risks.

This is the first Mideast peace treaty in 26 years, but it is not unprecedented for a Muslim-majority country and Israel to enjoy strategic ties. Muslim-majority

Rumblings of regional strife in the Caucasus could make its way to Israel

An ongoing escalation between Azerbaijan and its neighbor Armenia is threatening to spill over into an all-out conflict that could draw in regional powers like Russia, Turkey, Iran and maybe even Israel.

BY SEAN SAVAGE

A look at Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Credit: amanderson2 via Flickr.

(July 17, 2020 / JNS) One of the most unexpected, lesser known and not often reported bilateral relationships is the ties between Israel and Azerbaijan. While both countries are small, Israel is constantly garnering global headlines and attention for better or worse. The same cannot be said for Azerbaijan,