Defense chief: Some states seek to hurt Iran’s ties with Azerbaijan
Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said some countries are opposed to Iran’s friendly relations with its neighbors, including Azerbaijan, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
Commenting on the arrests of Iranian citizens in Azerbaijan several years ago on charges of planning terror attacks, Vahidi voiced hope that Azerbaijani officials would be able to overcome the "crafty tricks" of certain groups seeking to tarnish bilateral relations.
Azerbaijani TV channels have broadcast footage in the last few days about a group of Iranian, Azerbaijani and Lebanese citizens masterminding terror acts against the Israeli embassy in Baku, which was nabbed in 2008-2009. The group is said to have acted on orders from the Iranian secret service.
The Iranian defense minister’s statement comes amid tensions between the Azerbaijani and Iranian governments. Tehran has reportedly been displeased by friendlier links between Azerbaijan and Israel in recent months, while Azerbaijan has accused Iran of sponsoring Islamic radicals on its territory.
Azerbaijani law enforcers in mid-January nabbed a cell linked to the Iranian secret service that planned terror attacks reportedly targeting Israelis. Iran responded by claiming that Azerbaijan allows its territory to be used for anti-Iranian spying activity.
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