Secret Israeli Bases on Azerbaijan’s Border: Alleged Network Draws Denial

A recent investigation by the US news network CNN has thrust the usually opaque military cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan into the spotlight, alleging that Israeli special forces, intelligence operatives and drone units were secretly deployed on Azerbaijani territory during the latest round of hostilities with Iran. The report, citing four unnamed sources, claims that personnel operated from multiple sites in southern Azerbaijan, some as close as 97 kilometres from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which was targeted during the conflict. The scale and sensitivity of the alleged presence – said to include Mossad agents, rescue teams and special operations commandos – suggests a deeply embedded infrastructure designed for rapid cross-border action.

Viewed from Baku, the report could hardly have been more unwelcome. Within hours, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry issued a categorical rebuttal, describing the allegations as “entirely baseless” and calling on CNN to retract the report. Spokesperson Aytan Hajizadeh went further, telling Euronews that Baku had never made its territory available for any harmful action against a third country, including neighbouring Iran, and adding that it was ready to examine any evidence should it be presented. The ministry also accused the network of relying on anonymous sources without credible proof and of ignoring Azerbaijan’s official position, thereby violating the principles of objective journalism. This strong denial reflects Baku’s delicate balancing act: maintaining deep strategic ties with Israel while avoiding overt provocation of its powerful Shia neighbour.

The broader regional context is one of enduring mistrust. Tehran has long viewed with suspicion the burgeoning Azerbaijan–Israel partnership, which dates back to the Soviet collapse in 1991, when Israel was among the first states to recognise the newly independent republic. Israeli companies have since supplied Baku with advanced weaponry, including drones and missile systems, and – as noted by the Italian daily Il Giornale – the 700-kilometre frontier between Azerbaijan and Iran has for years been rumoured to serve as a staging post for clandestine Mossad operations. Some analysts point to the elimination of Rahman Moqadam, a key figure in foreign recruitment for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, as a possible outcome of such covert cooperation. From Washington, the alleged network fits into a wider pattern of a shadow war waged by Israel around Iran’s perimeter, using allies and proxy bases to project power.

The implications extend beyond the immediate controversy. If accurate, the presence of elite Israeli units on Iran’s northern border would represent a significant escalation in the decades-long confrontation, effectively tightening the ring of military encirclement. It could also force Azerbaijan into an uncomfortable confrontation with Tehran, which might demand guarantees or reciprocal measures. Conversely, if the report is groundless, the damage to Azerbaijani–Iranian relations may be temporary, but the whisper campaign itself serves as a reminder of the extreme sensitivity of military ties in the Caspian basin. For now, Baku’s vehement denial and the lack of on-the-record sources leave the story in the realm of allegation. Yet in a region where secrecy is currency, the very exposure of such a network – whether real or imagined – alters the strategic calculus.