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The deployment included elite Israeli commandos, intelligence operatives, and Mossad personnel.
By United with Israel Staff
Israel secretly deployed military and intelligence personnel to Azerbaijan during the war with Iran, using positions near Iran’s northern border to support surveillance and operational activities, according to a CNN report citing four sources familiar with the matter.
The report immediately drew a forceful response from Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, which issued an official statement rejecting the allegations as “completely unfounded” and insisting Azerbaijani territory has never been used for military or intelligence operations against Iran.
According to CNN, Israeli forces operated from several locations in southern Azerbaijan, at some points less than 100 miles from the Iranian city of Tabriz, which was struck repeatedly during the conflict.
The sources said the deployment included elite Israeli commandos, intelligence operatives, and Mossad personnel. Special forces reportedly carried out intelligence-gathering missions and drone operations, providing Israel with a valuable vantage point overlooking northern Iran.
CNN reported that the Azerbaijan operation was part of a broader network of covert Israeli positions established across the Middle East during the war. Additional sites were reportedly maintained in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland, creating a ring of forward positions around Iran and extending Israel’s operational reach hundreds of miles beyond its borders.
According to the report, the deployments were initially intended to serve as emergency rescue contingencies but later evolved into intelligence and military positions as the war expanded. Together, the sites reportedly placed Israeli personnel along Iran’s northern, western, and southern flanks, helping support operations throughout the conflict.
One source told CNN that the Azerbaijan contingent consisted of several dozen personnel, including members of Israel’s elite special operations units, combat rescue forces, and Mossad operatives.
Azerbaijan, however, strongly disputed the account.
In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said the allegations had been repeatedly denied by Azerbaijan and accused CNN of relying on anonymous sources while disregarding Baku’s official response.
“There is no basis for allegations that the territory of Azerbaijan is being used for military operations, intelligence activities or other hostile purposes against any third state,” the ministry said. “Our country has never permitted and will never permit such activities.”
The ministry further described the report as “another attempt at disinformation” and called on CNN to retract the article.
The allegations are particularly sensitive given Azerbaijan’s close ties with Israel and its strategic position along Iran’s northern border. Tehran has repeatedly accused Baku over the years of facilitating Israeli intelligence activities near Iranian territory, claims Azerbaijan has consistently denied.
Neither Israel nor the IDF has publicly commented on the report.
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