CNN claims Israel used Azerbaijani soil for covert operations against Iran; Baku denies

The Israeli regime secretly deployed elite military and intelligence personnel to Azerbaijan during the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran, using positions near the Iranian border to support operations against the country, says a report.

According to a CNN report citing four sources familiar with the matter, the regime’s forces operated from several locations in southern Azerbaijan, close to Iran’s northwestern border and within roughly 100 kilometers of the city of Tabriz, which was repeatedly targeted during the war.

According to the sources, the deployment included members of Israel’s special operations units, rescue forces and the Mossad spy agency.

The personnel reportedly carried out intelligence-gathering missions and drone operations, providing Israel with a strategic vantage point over northern Iran.

CNN reported that the Azerbaijan sites formed part of a broader network of covert Israeli positions across the region, including locations in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Somaliland. The facilities, it said, were initially planned as emergency rescue hubs but later expanded into military and intelligence outposts.

The report said the network effectively placed Israeli forces along Iran’s northern, western and southern border, helping sustain military aggression inside the country’s territory during the war.

Sources told CNN that Israeli forces conducted a covert mission along the Azerbaijan-Iran border to install intelligence and surveillance equipment aimed at monitoring Iranian military activity and missile launches.

Aliyev: Azerbaijani territory will not be used for threats against Iran

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says his country will not allow its territory to be used for any threat against Iran.

Preparations for the Azerbaijan operation began weeks before the US and Israel launch the aggression against Iran on February 28, the report said.

Israel and Azerbaijan maintain close military and economic ties, with Baku supplying a significant share of Israel’s oil imports and purchasing advanced Israeli weapons systems.

Azerbaijan denies the report

Azerbaijan, however, dismissed the report, describing the allegations as fabricated and aimed at undermining regional stability.

A spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s embassy told CNN that Baku “firmly rejects unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan’s territory for operations against third countries.”

Azerbaijan’s Media Development Agency also issued a statement on Friday, denouncing the report as “openly false information” published without evidence.

It said CNN has engaged in “deliberate information manipulation” and said the report was a provocative attempt to damage Azerbaijan’s relations with neighboring countries and create regional tensions.

“At the highest official levels, it has repeatedly been stated that Azerbaijan’s territory has not been used against the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances.”

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry also rejected the accusations and reiterated that Baku does not allow its territory to be used against third countries.

“Azerbaijan has never allowed, and will never allow, its territory to be used for such purposes,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said that Baku remains committed to promoting peace, regional stability, and good-neighborly relations.

Tehran and Baku have repeatedly emphasized their close bilateral ties, which both sides say are rooted in shared historical, religious and cultural bonds.

Iranian armed forces deny launching drone strike toward Azerbaijan

Iran has strongly rejected reports that its military forces launched drones toward Azerbaijan, blames Israel for the attack.

The CNN report comes amid growing scrutiny of the role played by several regional states during the US-Israeli war against Iran, which Tehran has repeatedly warned was facilitated by logistical, intelligence and military support from countries hosting American and Israeli military assets.

During the war, Washington and Tel Aviv used the territories of several Persian Gulf states, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan, to launch airstrikes against Iranian territory.

In response, Iran’s Armed Forces carried out a series of strikes against enemy targets, targeting US military assets and air defense systems stationed across the Persian Gulf region.

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