using this title Krone’den Clemens Zavarsky In the introductory article of his news analysis, he shared the following with his German readers: „A country whose majority is Muslim, but which is not on good terms with Israel‘s largest energy supplier and neighbor, Iran: Azerbaijan. Israel provided weapons to Azerbaijan during the war against Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Now the Caucasian republic can play a decisive role in the upcoming war between Israel and Iran”
He translated the remarkable news analysis published in German in Yeni Vatan Newspaper Krone on April 18, 2004 into Turkish:
According to Israeli media reports, Azerbaijan allows the Israeli air force to use three military bases on the Iran-Azerbaijan border. The bases in question Sitalcay, lacin ve Zangilan it could be. The last of these bases Only five kilometers from the Iranian border It is located in the distance.
In 2012, the famous Foreign Policy magazine He wrote that Israel has access to numerous air bases in this predominantly Muslim country.
An attack from the “back door”
Speaking to Krone, military expert Colonel Markus Reisner stated the following on this subject: „An attack on Iran will be carried out from the air, as the two countries do not have direct borders. This attack would not be made on Iran over Jordanian or Iraqi airspace, because that would mean flying directly into the main attack direction of Iranian air defenses. But through the back door. In other words, towards the north-northeast, across the Caspian Sea.”
„This route is much longer. Jets will need to be refueled in the air. “That’s why Israel is currently purchasing large quantities of refueling aircraft from the United States,” Reisner continued, “There will be a need for a base. “This brings us to Azerbaijan,” he said.
An air base to be established in Azerbaijan will make it much easier for the Israeli army to attack targets in Iran: Warplanes taking off from Israel will be able to land here for refueling and will not have to refuel in the air, unlike previously planned.
Israel and the autocratic country ruled by dictator Ilhan Aliev have had a harmonious relationship since 1992. Marcel Röthig, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Caucasus expert, “For Azerbaijan, Israel is an important partner in the defense and energy sectors,” he said, adding: “Approximately 40 percent of Israel’s oil needs come from Azerbaijan. At the same time, the Azerbaijani army has a high technical level and its arsenal includes state-of-the-art air defense and radars, as well as Israeli long-range missile systems. “These systems have also been used in combat operations against Armenia in recent years,” he says. Without Israel’s support, it would not have been possible for Azerbaijan to defeat Armenia.“
Azerbaijan’s relations with Iran
Although Shiite Muslim populations are majority in both countries and there is a large Azeri minority in Iran, relations with neighboring Iran are not without friction. The differences are based on political reasons. Azerbaijan sees itself as a secular republic, similar to Turkey. Röthig said, “However, relations have improved in recent months and Iran is seen as an important supply artery for Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave. “A military attack by Israel against Azerbaijan could seriously disrupt the already fragile structure in the Caucasus,” he said. ( Krone, 18.04.2024 Source )
2024-04-18 17:00:49