After the latest round of military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Baku, where he met with President Ilham Aliyev and Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.
Although Gantz’s office published a notice stating the purpose of the trip was security and diplomatic matters, it seems Gantz’s visit to Baku had other motives, IRNA reported.
“Since the beginning of the first Nagorno-Karabakh war, the Republic of Azerbaijan was one of the main buyers of weapons from the occupying regime in Palestine, which bought anti-tank missiles of the type “Spike-AR” and “Spike-LR” from the Israeli company “Rafael” and received mortars. Caliber 120 mm is from the “Albite System” company of Israel. Since 2010, the Republic of Azerbaijan has purchased “Spike” type anti-tank missiles from Tel Aviv and purchased Israeli drones at different times. These weapons have been used many times against the Armenian army and people in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Although Israel is one of the most important suppliers of weapons to the Republic of Azerbaijan, the purpose of Gantz’s visit to Baku cannot be simply to sell more weapons,” the author noted.
Azerbaijan had been buying anti-tank Spike missiles and Israeli drones from Tel Aviv since 2010. These weapons were used repeatedly against the Armenian army and people during the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Although Israel is one of the most important arms suppliers to Azerbaijan, the purpose of Gantz’s visit to Baku cannot simply be to sell more weapons.
In a statement from Gantz’s office, one of the goals of the Baku trip is to discuss changes in the Middle East after the signing of the compromise agreements, known as the Abrahamic accords, as well as the development of Tel Aviv’s relations with Ankara. In this context, the future of Israel’s relations with Turkey, as well as Azerbaijan’s presence and participation in this process, could also be one of the focuses of talks between Tel Aviv and Baku during the trip. Solving the problem of the isolation of Armenia and Russia in the Caucasus and helping to stabilize Baku’s position for the possible occupation of certain areas of the Syunik region of Armenia under the pretext of opening a transit corridor can also be seen as one of the focuses of Baku’s negotiations.
The Zionist regime is one of the main factors of tension in Karabakh and is trying to maintain the fire of war and change the geopolitics of the region in line with its interests. It seems that the main purpose of the visit of the Israeli defense minister to Azerbaijan on behalf of Turkey is to provoke Baku to attack the Syunik region of Armenia. Meanwhile, the Zionist regime is secretly negotiating with Nikol Pashinyan’s government to improve relations with Armenia as part of its hypocritical policy.
For the time being, the Azerbaijani authorities should beware of Israel’s bellicose provocations and not expose themselves to a new war in the Caucasus. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran, negotiations are the only solution to the disagreements between Baku and Yerevan, and changing the official borders in the Caucasus will cause new security threats. The phone conversation between Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran and Zakir Hasanev, Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan and the emphasis on the need for a peaceful solution to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia can be analyzed in this context.
This conversation regarding the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is of particular importance and in connection with the actions of Azerbaijani forces to occupy the Jermuk heights, which is near the Iran-Armenia border, it was necessary to remind the Azerbaijani Defense Minister that Iran maintains its principled position against any changes in the borders in the South Caucasus, including the common borders between Iran and Armenia.
At the same time the emphasis of General Bagheri on the need for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Baku and Yerevan is also a sign of Iran’s interest in establishing peace, stability and security in the region, under the shadow of which friendly relations will be established and stronger and more effective economic cooperation will take shape.
The position of the Azerbaijani Defense Minister in this conversation that Baku has no claims to the territory of Armenia and that the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be solved through dialogue and friendship, and also that assurances that Baku has no intention of carrying out military operations on the occupation of Armenian territory is a positive position, the realization of which will neutralize the provocations of the Zionist regime in the Caucasus, including the creation of disruptions in relations between Tehran and Baku.
