Baku — In a stunning departure from its traditionally close ties with Israel, Azerbaijan has publicly condemned the Israeli regime for its brutal military aggression against Iran during the recent 12-day imposed war, marking a significant geopolitical shift in the region.
Senior Azerbaijani official Hikmat Hajiyev, who serves as Assistant to the President and Head of the Foreign Policy Department, issued the rebuke in a phone conversation with top Iranian officials from the Supreme National Security Council. He condemned the Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory that killed high-ranking Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, denouncing the operation as a “violation of regional stability and international norms.”
This rare public criticism of Israel from Baku signals an evident recalibration of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy amid increasing tensions in West Asia. The Israeli airstrikes—widely seen as part of a broader Western-backed provocation—have further isolated Tel Aviv, already under international scrutiny for its ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The timing of Azerbaijan’s statement is equally noteworthy. It comes as Iran and Azerbaijan continue mending ties after a period of diplomatic chill. In their latest exchange, Hajiyev and Iranian counterparts agreed to fully implement bilateral presidential agreements and coordinate on resolving lingering consular issues—including the case of Iranian students studying in Azerbaijan.
The phone call, seen by diplomatic observers as more than a routine exchange, is being interpreted as a strategic message to both Israel and its Western allies that Azerbaijan is no longer willing to act as a silent accomplice in regional destabilization. This marks a pivot from Baku’s historically warm relations with Tel Aviv, particularly in intelligence sharing, arms procurement, and trade.
Israel, for years, has enjoyed unprecedented access to Azerbaijan’s airbases and territory for surveillance operations targeting Iran. But following the June escalation—when Israeli warplanes bombed key Iranian facilities and personnel—Azerbaijan has come under pressure to reconsider the price of alignment with an aggressor state now accused globally of war crimes, not just in Palestine but now directly against a sovereign neighbor.
Furthermore, the Azerbaijani response reflects growing regional discontent over Israeli militarism. From Pakistan to Türkiye to Bahrain, governments have condemned the attacks. Russia and China have both warned Israel against escalation, emphasizing the right of Iran to defend its territorial sovereignty and scientific infrastructure.
While Israeli officials have remained characteristically defiant, brushing off international rebuke, the condemnation from Baku may force a rare moment of introspection within Israeli defense circles. The prospect of losing Azerbaijan—one of its few Muslim-majority partners—could cost Israel its strategic depth in the region.
Beyond the geopolitics, the humanitarian dimension of Israel’s military behavior has not gone unnoticed in Baku. Civilian deaths, including scientists and technicians working on peaceful nuclear energy, have galvanized calls for restraint and justice. Iran, meanwhile, continues to compile a detailed legal case to present to international bodies, documenting not only the destruction of infrastructure but the human toll of Israel’s 12-day offensive.
Diplomatic sources also confirmed that Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, is expected to visit Baku in the coming weeks. The visit, reportedly greenlit by both governments, will focus on expanding economic ties, resolving student visa issues, and reinforcing a shared commitment to resisting outside interference in the region.
This thaw in Iran-Azerbaijan relations may also herald a new chapter in regional cooperation frameworks such as the Caspian Five and the North-South Corridor, where both nations stand to benefit from bypassing Western sanctions and defense entanglements.
As Israel faces mounting global criticism over its war in Gaza and now its offensive against Iran, Baku’s pivot could be a bellwether of deeper realignments in the Muslim world—where survival, sovereignty, and moral clarity are beginning to outweigh transactional defense deals and political appeasement.
According to Mehr News Agency, Hajiyev’s direct condemnation of Israel and his emphasis on bilateral engagement with Iran underscore Azerbaijan’s recalibrated foreign policy priorities and growing resistance to Tel Aviv’s destabilizing influence in the region.
