Iran's armed forces caution Azerbaijan to eject Israeli influence

In a statement issued on Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards urged Azerbaijan to take immediate action and "expel the Zionists" from its territory, citing the need to maintain regional security, just one day after Baku alleged that Tehran was plotting attacks on its soil.

n

Azerbaijan and Israel have a long-standing alliance, with Israel serving as a major supplier of arms to the country, while Tehran has consistently accused Israel of utilizing Azerbaijani territory to conduct covert intelligence operations.

n

A military spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a declaration addressed to Azerbaijan, a Muslim nation, calling on it to remove "the Zionists" from its territory to prevent the spread of insecurity and protect both its own people and those of Islamic Iran.

n

On Friday, Azerbaijan announced that it had thwarted a series of planned terrorist attacks allegedly orchestrated by Iran, targeting key infrastructure including a major oil pipeline, a synagogue, and Jewish community leaders.

n

Iran declined to comment on the accusations leveled against it by Azerbaijan, which claimed to have uncovered the planned attacks.

n

On Thursday, at least four drones crashed in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, with one of the incidents occurring at an airport, prompting Baku to point fingers at Tehran, which in turn denied any involvement and instead accused Israel of attempting to provoke a confrontation.