BAKU: Azerbaijan has detained at least nine individuals suspected of being linked to Iranian secret services and plotting a coup and assassinations, officials announced on Tuesday.
The arrests have intensified tensions between Baku and Tehran, two countries with a history of strained relations, following the expulsion of diplomats from both sides.
According to a joint statement by Azerbaijan’s interior ministry, security service, and office of the prosecutor general, the law enforcement forces apprehended individuals who were allegedly working for Iranian secret services.
The statement identified nine individuals by name and mentioned that several others had also been arrested. The group was reportedly planning a violent overthrow of the Azerbaijani government, as well as the assassinations of prominent figures and senior officials.
This recent wave of arrests comes after the detention of six Azerbaijani nationals in April, who were accused of being recruited by Iranian secret services to destabilize the country.
Azerbaijan, a close ally of Iran’s historical rival, Turkey, has been a cause of concern for Tehran. Iran is worried that Azerbaijan, with its ties to Israel (a major weapons supplier to Baku), could potentially allow its territory to be used for an offensive against Iran.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran
Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran further deteriorated in January when a gunman attacked Baku’s embassy in Tehran, resulting in the death of a diplomat and injuries to two embassy security guards. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry blamed Iran for the shooting, an accusation that Iran’s foreign ministry has denied.
In a tit-for-tat response, Iran expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats earlier in May, citing it as a reaction to Baku’s expulsion of Iranian embassy staff in April.
The strained relations between Azerbaijan and Iran underscore the ongoing geopolitical complexities in the region. Both countries will need to address these tensions diplomatically to prevent further escalation and maintain stability in the region.
