Israel’s growing footprint ...
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Baku from Tel Aviv’s perspective
In addition to the above, the prominent role of the Zionist regime in the developments of the South Caucasus, particularly in Azerbaijan, has become a decisive factor in shaping new power dynamics in the region. Through extensive investments in Azerbaijan’s military, economic, and intelligence sectors, and backed by widespread lobbying in the United States, especially by Zionist lobbies and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Israel has increased its influence in this country and uses it as a platform to advance its regional goals.
The recent BESA report, authored by Captain (res.) Alexander Grinberg, a former intelligence officer in the Israeli army, explicitly identifies Azerbaijan as one of the “pillars of Israel’s regional security” and cites several reasons for the country’s strategic importance. He emphasizes that Azerbaijan’s proximity to Iran and Russia makes it a potential base for intelligence and military operations against these two countries.
The BESA report, citing various sources, including Foreign Policy, points to the widespread presence of Israeli intelligence agents in Azerbaijan. For instance, it notes: “In February 2012, the Associated Press noted that Azerbaijan has become an important base for Israeli intelligence services!”
Beyond its proximity, Alexander Grinberg claims that the presence of a large Azeri-speaking population in Iran is another attractive factor for Israel. He explicitly claims that Israel can use this leverage to incite ethnic discontent and destabilize Iran. Furthermore, a significant portion of the regime’s oil consumption is supplied by Azerbaijan, and this is vitally important to the Zionist regime, especially in times of crisis. He emphasizes, citing Israeli officials, that Azerbaijan is the largest supplier of energy resources to the Zionist regime and, during the Gaza war, increased its oil exports to Israel by !55%
The BESA report notes that Azerbaijan is one of the largest importers of Israeli military products, stating that 60-69%of Azerbaijan’s military imports in the 2010s came from Israel, and new contracts have also been signed. The noteworthy point is that the BESA Center explicitly acknowledges the presence of Israeli intelligence agents on Azerbaijani soil and claims that the “Iranian threat” is the unifying factor between Baku and Tel Aviv.
In addition to the above, the BESA report addresses Azerbaijan’s role in mediating between Turkey and Israel, citing Israeli and Azerbaijani sources to emphasize that the President of Azerbaijan is trying to improve Turkish-Israeli relations.
In the second report, published shortly after the first one at the BESA Center, suggestions were made for Azerbaijan’s participation in the reconstruction of Gaza and the revival of shared religious sites, indicating the Zionist regime’s efforts to utilize Azerbaijan’s capacity as a cultural and economic tool in Islamic societies. For this reason, the recent report specifically states: “Azerbaijan should be included in the ‘Abraham Accords club.’”
As is evident, what has been published in this think tank reveals the Zionists’ special view of the South Caucasus. Furthermore, the simultaneous publication of this report with the start of the Trump administration’s regional activities and the possibility of adopting new policies towards Russia reinforces the proposition that we may soon witness new intrigues in the region.
It should be noted that Trump could pave the way for a new chapter of geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus, because given Trump’s history of supporting Israel, an increase in Israel’s influence in the Caucasus region, especially in Azerbaijan, is not unexpected. This could lead to increased competition, renewed agitation regarding the Zangezur corridor, and increased security threats against Iran. Notably, the second BESA report mentions the need to repeal “Section 907,” which is an obstacle to the development of US-Azerbaijani relations. This legal provision was enacted under the Freedom Support Act of1992 due to the military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and has been renewed annually to this day, preventing extensive US economic and military support for Baku.
Under such circumstances, Iran, to safeguard its national interests and prevent future enemy machinations, should not stand idly by as the regime consolidates its position on our northern borders. Therefore, all political groups in the country, with a deep understanding of the potential threats, must prioritize national interests and adopt a comprehensive approach to counter these threats. This approach should include strengthening active diplomacy with regional countries, especially Armenia and Russia. The country’s intelligence and security agencies must closely monitor developments and identify any suspicious activity. Strengthening the country’s defense capabilities on the northwestern borders, particularly in air and missile defense, and developing drone and electronic warfare capabilities can create the necessary deterrence. But most importantly, maintaining national unity and cohesion, which the enemy has a particular interest in undermining, is crucial.
Strategy of ‘cooperation and vigilance’
Iranian decision-makers, from all spectra and factions, must pursue national interests in the long term, understanding the geopolitical realities of the region. These interests are not secured through confrontation with neighbors, but through cooperation and constructive engagement with them. Iran must help resolve conflicts peacefully and create a stable security system in the South Caucasus by strengthening economic, cultural, and political relations with regional countries, especially Armenia, and by using its diplomatic capabilities. This cooperation could include joint economic projects, development of transportation infrastructure, cultural cooperation, and information exchange. At the same time, Iran must vigilantly monitor the movements of the Zionist regime and its allies and take necessary measures to prevent the infiltration and expansion of this regime’s presence on our borders.
The report discussed shows that Israel views Azerbaijan as a pawn in its geopolitical great game. Given this reality, Iran must review its policies towards the South Caucasus and adopt a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach that both helps protect our national interests and contributes to regional stability. This approach must be based on active diplomacy, economic cooperation, strengthening defense capabilities, and security vigilance, because the future of the South Caucasus depends on cooperation and constructive engagement among the countries of the region, and Iran can play an active role in creating a stable security system based on common interests.