Is there an attempt to involve Azerbaijan in active operations against Iran? - Analyst

Political analyst Hakob Badalyan commented on reports that an Iranian drone struck the airport in Nakhichevan.

“This is likely either a warning, a signal, or a provocation. After all, it is entirely possible that drones could be redirected in another direction through electronic warfare. Moreover, there is a serious question as to whether the drones in question were even Iranian.

First there was the incident involving an Iranian ballistic missile in Turkey, and now the situation in Nakhichevan. Could it be that what was not achieved in the Turkish direction is now being attempted on the Azerbaijani side? In other words, an effort to draw Azerbaijan into active operations against Iran.

“In this context, I would like to recall a statement made the day before yesterday by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, which I shared on the channel as news. I did not post it merely as a news item. Hegseth said that strikes against Iran would begin from deeper range.

What does ‘deeper range’ mean? It implies either that strikes launched from bases in the Gulf countries must come from a greater distance, or that ‘bases’ on the opposite side of Iran must be involved. And which locations could that refer to? Turkey and the Nakhichevan-Azerbaijan direction.

If Ankara and Baku resist or refuse to participate, then a ‘precedent’ might need to be created. In that case, it is noteworthy that immediately after Hegseth’s statement we saw both the ‘Turkish’ story about the Iranian ballistic missile yesterday and today’s reports regarding the Nakhichevan airport.

This interpretation, of course, applies if we are dealing with a provocation. If these incidents are indeed deliberate actions by Iran, then it could indicate that Tehran possesses information suggesting that Turkey and Azerbaijan are involved, even if only tacitly.”

Badalyan also noted that Iran has already stated it did not launch any missiles toward Turkey.

“Let us see how Tehran reacts regarding the reports about Nakhichevan. In this context, Nakhichevan itself appears somewhat ‘mysterious’. It is worth recalling that on November 9, 2020, a Russian helicopter accompanying Russian peacekeeping forces was shot down from the direction of Nakhichevan, reportedly due to confusion.”